Pollution Control Board shuts down 19 mines in Goa

Panaji: In the absence of consent under the Air and Water Pollution Control Act, 19 mines in Goa has been directed to shut down by the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB). [caption id=“attachment_53084” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“35 mines were found to be operating without the mandatory consent under Environment laws in Goa. Reuters”]  [/caption] GSPCB Chairman Simon De Souza said that the orders have been followed to immediate effect. “They will be allowed to restart only after getting the Consent under Air and Water Pollution Control Act,” he assured.  Board officials said that 16 more mines would be issued notice to stop operations soon. 35 mines out of about 105 were found to be operating without the mandatory consent under Environment laws in Goa. The Bombay High Court had recently asked GSPCB to suspend operations of these mines, which are functioning without a consent under the Act. The closure of these mines would prove a major setback for the iron ore export trade; as Goa collects a high royalty by exporting iron ores. During the last financial year the state exported 54 million metric tones of ore, collecting a royalty of Rs 900 crore. Several mines, which are operating around wildlife sanctuaries and forest areas, have not been given the mandatory clearance by the Forest Department under the Act. Forest officials have said that the NOC for these mines can be given only after deciding on the buffer zone around wildlife sanctuaries and forest areas. Principal Additional Chief Conservator of Forest Dr Shashi Kumar has written to the state government stating that the Forest Department will have to refer to these mining cases to the National Wildlife Board under Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) before granting them NOC. PTI