PANAJI
The Goa State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) has granted environmental clearance (EC) to erstwhile mining leaseholders for handling iron ore dumps lying outside lease bound area.
SEIAA during its recent meeting decided to grant EC to Chowgule and Company Pvt Ltd for a period of five years based on the recommendation of Goa State Expert Appraisal Committee (SEAC) for handling of ore dumps outside mining lease on a private property in Sirigao village in Bicholim taluka.
The authority has directed the Project Proponent to follow the State government’s dump policy, dated September 13, 2023 for setting the ceiling limit of 25 million tonnes per annum for dump transportation.
The company has been asked to install a minimum of two online sensor based ambient air quality monitoring stations for monitoring of air quality along the transportation route and at the dump site.
“Validity of the EC accorded shall be for a period of five years and restoration/ rejuvenation/ reclamation of the dump site has to be carried out within the validity period of the EC. In the event that the Project Proponent is unable to complete the activity within the stipulated period, the PP may approach this Authority for extension in validity of EC provided it is within the validity period of EC,” it added.
The State government last month amended Policy for Regulating Iron Ore Dump Handling in the State of Goa to allow erstwhile leaseholders to handle the low-grade ore dumped by them in private land or another mining lease that was never operated.
The government decided to allow handling of such dump only after conversion fees for regulating these dumps on private lands is paid apart from payment of royalty.
Mining companies would be permitted to remove the dumps within five years.
