SC may lift ban on two Goa mines

The owners will make a presentation to court-appointed CEC on Tuesday.

Two Goan iron ore mines - one each from Rajesh Timblo and A V Vilingkar - are likely to get a new lease of life soon if the Supreme Court's last verdict is any indication.

The apex court had said it was "not averse to mining provided sufficient measures are taken to protect the environment and wildlife."

CAST IRON

In December, SC had allowed 16 out of 18 iron ore mines in Goa to restart after stopping operations

The court has said it was "not averse to mining provided sufficient measures are taken to protect the environment"

Goa accounts for a third of India's annual exports of 90 million tonnes of iron ore

In December, the Supreme Court allowed 16 out of 18 iron ore mines in the state to restart operations as ther were doubts over work permits earlier.

The 18 mines have a combined annual output of 8 million tonnes, or nearly 25 per cent of the mineral-rich state's output of 30 million tonnes, which is entirely exported. Goa accounts for a third of India's annual exports of 90 million tonnes of iron ore.

While granting permission to commence operations to 16 mines early this month, the court had asked the other two mine owners to present their case to the SC-appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC). Timblo and Vilingkar will give a presentation to CEC tomorrow.

The two mines, which have a combined annual capacity of 2-2.5 million tonnes, are reportedly located a kilometre from sanctuaries and, hence, shouldn't have problems in getting the permit.

Approximately half of the existing about 110 mines in Goa are facing threat of closure amid agitation from local residents and NGOs, including the Goa Foundation.

CEC, which has the authority to decide on the fate of mining lease holders and mine owners in Goa, recently ordered seven mines to halt activities immediately.

"Closure of mines is not a solution, especially when the demand of iron ore is surging leaps and bounds. The best solution for environment protection is the enforcement of existing laws," said Sharma.

Mining companies currently pay Rs 27 a tonne as royalty to the state in addition to labour welfare, forest land owner's payment and resettlement.

Under the new mining policy, however, the royalty is likely to range between Rs 90-150 a tonne depending upon the grade of ore.

Iron ore is one of the largest foreign exchange earners for the country especially from China and Japan where the country exports about 75-80 per cent of the total shipment.

Last year, Goa contributed 40 million tonnes to the total exports of 92 million tonnes. For the current year, the industry estimates Goa's iron ore exports to touch 45 million tonnes and 100 million tonnes from India.