PANAJI | Sept 13, 2017: Delay in taking decision on Sonshi mines could botch up mining when the season re-opens on October 1, sources in mining industry said on Wednesday.
An industry source, speaking to ‘The Navhind Times’ said, “Absence of renewal of consent to operate 12 leases in the Sonshi cluster is likely to have an adverse impact on iron ore production in forthcoming 2017-18 season. It is a significant volume that the cluster contributes.”
In 2016-17 about eight million tons out of 20 million came in from Sonshi, amounting to 40 per cent of the total production.
Companies informed that they are waiting for the decision of Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) on renewing consent but unfortunately the board is indecisive and unnecessarily postponing the issue.
“Officials are calling us for meetings but not coming to a conclusion,” said one of the source.
The GSPCB has also not taken decision on the long term plan to permanently tackle air pollution in Sonshi, pointed out industry.
In May 2017, a draft plan that spoke on protocol to be followed in controlling pollution in Sonshi was prepared by the Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad and presented to board officials by industry. However the pollution board is not made up its mind on the draft plan.
On the other hand, GSPCB sources said that they are mulling over the next course of action after a complaint against the renewals by NGO, Goa Foundation.
In the letter to the board, the NGO said that, the leases in Sonshi should not be given renewed consent to operate as they have violated air pollution norms.
Citing Supreme Court judgment in the Odisha illegal mining case, the NGO said that by virtue of violating the consent terms laid down under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, the mines in the Sonshi region are guilty of illegal mining. Therefore the pollution control board must reject the applications for consent and file appropriate actions in a court of law against the lease holders for violation of the consents.
“The Board cannot renew such consent orders unless it has demonstrated proof of action as far as the violations are concerned,” stated the compliant letter.
There are about 12 mining leases in the Sonshi cluster and nearly all of them were in production in the previous year. Following complaints of air pollution from villagers around the cluster the renewal of consent to these leases was withheld.
Other than Sonshi, there are about 30-odd leases whose consent is due for renewal. About four leaseholders renewed the consent by providing bank guarantee but others have yet to submit applications to the pollution board.
(Source: http://www.navhindtimes.in/)