PIL in SC to restrain resumption of mining in Goa

The Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petition filed by an NGO, Goa Foundation, also sought setting up of a special probe agency to investigate the alleged loss to the state revenue, the illegalities committed in mining activities and the connivance of public servants in abetting the same.

The NGO, filing the petition through advocate Prashant Bhushan, referred to the report of Justice (Retd) M B Shah Commission and alleged that "iron ore worth Rupees 35,000 crores was plundered by the mining companies, committing theft of Government property."

It said the Commission's report tabled in Parliament on September 7 stated that "illegal activities in mining were underway since the year 2000" and that all the 90 mines in the state were functioning without the mandatory permission from the National Board of Wild Life (NBWL) and 33 of these were within 1.5 kms of the wildlife sanctuaries, well inside the eco-sensitive zone notified by the NBWL.

"The failure of the state to control the illegal mining has led to large-scale destruction of both the forest and non-forest land and as such has adversely affected the livelihood of local people, especially the rural poor," the petition said.

It said due to lack of co-ordination between Department of Mines and Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB), the mines were set up in forest and eco-sensitive areas, close to the streams and rivers, causing severe air and water pollution, degradation of the environment and the loss of bio-diversity.

The NGO said the Directorate of Mines and Geology on September 10 this year had temporarily suspended all mining operations till October 2012, but the suspension did not affect the trade and transportation of ore already mined and existing in the lease hold area, in transit or stores or stocked on the jetties. (MORE)