GSPCB to start inspection of mining leases from next week

In a major step towards resumption of stalled mining operations, the Goa State Pollution Control Board today announced that it will start inspecting mining leases from May 4 onwards.
The announcement came after miners called upon GSPCB chairman Jose Manuel Noronha demanding inspection of their mining leases.
The consent of the board is necessary under Air Act and Water Pollution Act.
The mining activity in the coastal state had been on hold for over 18 months before the ban on its functioning was lifted by the Supreme Court last year.
The apex court, however, put a rider saying the iron ore mining will be restricted to 20 million tonne annually.

The Ministry of Environment and Forest has already begun clearing permissions for those mining leases that have received the nod from state government.

Noronha said that 89 mining leases have so far applied for the consent under the Air Act and Water Pollution Act, and inspection is a part of procedure before granting approval to the mining leases.
"The report would be then placed before the Technical Advisory Committee of GSPCB for scrutiny which will in turn submit its findings to full Board for approval," he said.
Noronha said the entire process will take at least three months to conclude.

GSPCB is also verifying the documents of the mining leases, which include the MoEF-granted EC (environmental clearance), valid mining lease, capping on annual extraction, valid mining plan, iron ore transportation plan, map indicating water bodies, wells and buffer zone areas and others.