NT Reporter
Porvorim
The state government has sought the Centre’s intervention to resolve regulatory and clearance-related hurdles affecting the resumption of mining operations, particularly those involving mining dumps located in forest areas, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said.
Addressing a press conference at Mantralaya at Porvorim after a meeting with Union Minister for Mines G Kishan Reddy, attended by mining leaseholders and representatives of mining associations, Sawant said the state has called for reforms at the central level to facilitate the extraction of iron ore from 20 auctioned mining dumps containing an estimated 40 million tonnes of ore.
The Chief Minister said some of these dumps are located in areas that have since been classified as forests, although they were not forest areas when the ore was originally dumped there. The government has requested the Centre to intervene and introduce necessary reforms, assuring that the land would be handed over to the Forest Department after the ore is extracted.
“We do not have to disturb the environment or forests. There are huge dumps lying in forest areas. Once the ore is taken out, the land will be given to the Forest Department.
“We have requested the Union minister to take a positive view of the issue,” Sawant said.
He added that Reddy had assured the state of his intervention and said he would take up the matter with the Prime Minister, if required.
The state has also sought assistance in expediting environmental and forest clearances for mining leases, besides addressing other regulatory issues holding up operations. Sawant said 17 mining leases have been auctioned so far, of which six have commenced operations, while the remaining leases are facing delays due to pending environmental or forest clearances.
Of the 17 auctioned leases, seven are in Bicholim, two in Bardez, four in Sattari, two in Dharbandora and two in Sanguem.
The government plans to take up 11 more leases for exploration next year. Of these, six are in Sanguem, three in Quepem and two in Dharbandora.
Sawant said the government had apprised Reddy of the difficulties faced by the state and sought the Centre’s support in resolving them. The Union minister, he said, had responded positively and assured that efforts would be made to address the concerns raised by the state and the mining industry.
Apart from clearances and regulatory reforms, the state has also taken up the issue of dredging to ensure smooth transportation of ore through waterways. Sawant said mining associations had requested assistance for dredging to facilitate the movement of ore, while some leaseholders had sought other reforms to ensure that mining operations could resume without further hurdles.
The government has already started digital monitoring of mining operations in Goa, he said, adding that the initiative would help monitor activities and ensure greater oversight.
Expressing hope that operations would gather momentum, Sawant said mining activities were expected to commence smoothly in parts of North Goa and Kushavati districts in the coming days.
He also defended the government’s efforts to revive the mining sector, saying the ground realities of mining are better understood by people from the mining belt than those commenting on the issue from Panaji or coastal areas.
“It is easy to make comments on mining while sitting in Panaji or in coastal areas. It is different when you come from a mining area and know the reality,” he said.
