The Pioneer reported that in 5 years, mining companies in Goa exported illegally extracted iron ore to the tune of 39.56 million tonnes, matching in scale and proportion to the illegal mining business in the big state of Karnataka.
Stating this in an interim report submitted to Supreme Court, the Central Empowered Committee constituted by the court blamed the Ministry of Environment and Forests for allowing the plunder of natural resources by granting environmental clearance to over 162 mining leases, many of which operated from inside wildlife sanctuaries or national parks.
Mining activities had been suspended in the state since September following the pointing out of serious irregularities in mining operations in the state by a Commission of Inquiry headed by retired SC judge Justice Mr MB Shah.
Recommending all mining leases in the state to be kept in abeyance, the CEC found out that illegal mining thrived in Goa for want of any checks and balances.
Unlike other major iron ore producing States, there is no system of periodic verification of the iron ore produced in the mining leases, payment of royalty, issue of permits for transportation of mineral etc. The companies also did not follow the provisions in the MMDR Act 1987, requiring them to file monthly returns and annual returns with Indian Bureau of Mines.
As a result, the total production of iron ore as per records of the state was 155.3724 million tonne between 2006-07 and 2010-11. While the total ore exported out of the State was 194.9369 million tonne.
The CEC said that “There is every reason to believe that the excess quantity of iron ore that has been exported is the illegally mined iron ore.” The CEC’s joint inspection team that visited the lease area saw that 120 mining leases were located within a distance of 10 kilometer from the national park/sanctuary, 19 leases were located within the sanctuary and 23 leases were within 1 kilometer from the park/sanctuary.
In majority of these cases, environmental clearance was given in flagrant violation of the existing law that does not permit mining in 10 kilometer radius of national park/sanctuary. In addition, the clearances did not have the mandatory clearance from the Standing Committee of National Board of Wildlife. Even the State Government, oversaw this lapse and renewed mining leases.
