Cap mining to 20 MT, phase out buffer zone mines: CM
GOANEWS & PTI, PANAJI | 03 October 2013 11:32 IST
Chief minister Manohar Parrikar has favoured capping of iron ore extraction to 20 million tonnes per year.
He also feels that 23 mines within one kilometer of the sanctuaries should be shut down after five to 10 years, in a phased manner, rather than shutting them down along with 11 mines within the sanctuaries.
Based on his contention, the state government has also informed the Supreme Court to cap iron ore to 45 MT per year, including 25 MT from already extracted ore, lying up all over the state as rejects.
The argument that is coming up before the Supreme Court is to spread the existing iron ore reserves of 577 MT for the next 100 years.
If court agrees to this, it would amount to around 5 to 6 MT of extraction every year.
“The available reserves should be spread over 50 to 100 years”, states Parrikar, providing a long rope to cap it.
He also claims that the reserves are around 1.3 billion tones in the state, part of which cannot be explored as it is locked in the forest areas.
The iron ore reserves in Goa should be explored over a longer period of time through sustained mining, he said.
"We will request National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) to guide us on inter-generational equity so that the availability of ore reserves can be spread over a period of 50 to 100 years," Parrikar told PTI in Panaji last evening.
The state does not favour that mining companies should exhaust the available ore reserves within next 10 to 15 years, he said.
The state government has communicated with NEERI to determine and recommend the optimal level of fresh mining that can be undertaken in Goa.
The government wants that all the 23 mines which are within one kilometer buffer zone of the wildlife sanctuaries, should be given time of five to ten years to phase out, rather than stopping them immediately, the chief minister said.
"We are waiting for the decision of the Supreme Court on the issue but government's opinion is that they should be shut down in a phased manner," he said.
Goa currently has 90-odd working mining leases which tap the ore that is exported to countries like China and Japan.
The Supreme Court is currently hearing a petition filed by an NGO against illegal mining in the state.
Iron ore activity had been halted in the state following a Supreme Court order since September last year.
Drop a comment
Previous Comments
MINING RE-START ONLY AFTER RECOVERED 35,000 CORERS.
- JOSE ROD, GOA | 03 rd October 2013 13:54
Latest News
- Will probable defectors learn from the 2022 election?
- Deficit budget presented, but no taxes! Each Goan has a Rs 1.46 lakh loan!!
- The Kings of their Empires are back, but as ‘injured soldiers’
- BJP bottle of ‘imported wine’ wins 20, forming Govt in Goa with ‘professional defectors’
- Will 'Didi' impact Goa’s Babas, Bhaus, Bhaiees, Patraos & Bosses?
- SC raps Goa Govt, scraps 5 civic polls, delivers nationwide verdict on SEC
- Goa loses two veterans: Datta S Naik & Simon D’Souza
- Dr Suresh Amonkar loses Covid battle, 8th death in Goa
- Will disqualification petition in SC affect BJP; benefit Congress? (By Sandesh Prabhudesai)
- Goa lost a multi-faceted personality; Dr Suresh Gundu Amonkar
Mining
- SC again stops Goa mining from 16 March, orders fresh ECs & recover dues
- NGT orders 25 miners to appear before MoEF, face closure threat
- Fearing another attempt of arrest, Digambar seeks interim bail
- Goa police summons Ex-CM Digambar in mining scam
- Dr Claude supports AAP stand on mining, with objections
- New SC order likely to halt mining of 40 leases, until…
- Centre to hold all-state meet in Goa on illegal mining
- Caurem tribals march to Panaji, approaching SC to expose illegalities
- Will Govt probe both Ravindra and Fomento, if it was a bribe?
- Was crop damage compensation to Caurem shown as extortion by Fomento?
