Times of India reported that Rampant illegal iron ore mining in Goa, which has devastated the state, is much larger than the illegal mining in Karnataka and the Union ministry of environment and forests granted green clearances to 162 mines near national parks and sanctuaries in breach of Supreme Court orders.
The apex court's high powered environment panel said that the illegal mining was carried out allegedly with the tacit approval of the previous Digambar Kamat government.
The report was presented on December 7th by amicus curiae ADN Rao before a bench of Justices Mr Aftab Alam, Mr KS Radhakrishnan and Mr Swatanter Kumar.
The bench issued notices to the Union and state government seeking their response to the report, which said that "A very large number of mining leases were being operated by persons other than the lessees and in flagrant violation of the provisions of mining law and in all probability with the tacit approval of the state government."
The report said that the state experiences plenty of rainfall, which washes the sediments of iron ore mining to the rivers, choking and irreversibly damaging the sensitive Zuari and Mandovi estuaries complex said to be the largest in the country.
The CEC said that during 2006-2011, 39.56 million tonnes of illegal iron ore was exported from the state.
Source - Times of India
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