A Goa Government panel has recommended capping mining activity in the coastal state at 20 million tonnes in the next four years to protect the fragile ecosystem and reduce the social stress.
Goa Golden Jubilee Development Council (GGJDC), headed by scientist Raghunath Mashelkar, has pointed out that unbridled mining activity has surpassed the social and environmental threshold in the region.
A document, tilted Vision 2035, prepared by the panel has proposed an upper limit at around 20 mt on mining between 2010-15 to protect the deteriorating ecosystem and social stress in the region.
The document was handed over to the Chief Minister, Mr Digambar Kamat, on the state Liberation Day on December 19.
Majority of the cumulative export of 54 mt from Goa is iron ore owing to a huge demand in steel industry from China.
The Mashelkar panel has also recommended a ban on mining activity in protected areas like wildlife sanctuaries, national parks and even in the high-sensitive regions of the state.
“Close all mines that have been extracting ore beyond limits allowed by environmental clearance given by the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF),” the document reads, adding “mining leases in wildlife sanctuaries should be permanently cancelled”.
The Vision Document, which was prepared after holding intense deliberations with different stakeholders comprising state government officials, organisations, intellectuals, common public etc, emphasises that the state must not encourage opening of additional mines until the worked-out mines are exhausted and backfilled after necessary reclamation works.
Mining has seen a significant rise by 20 mt in production in the last five years, soaring to 49 mt in 2009. It contributes 4.8 per cent to State Domestic Product. A chunk of 89 per cent of total export of iron ore from Goa is to China and 8 per cent to Japan.
According to the panel, incessant mining activity has taken its toll on the natural resources in the state.
“These (mining activities as a whole) include the impact on ground water as the dumping is very close to water bodies and settlements.
Impact on agriculture is a cause for concern too. The effect on the forests in the Western Ghats and the desiccation of orchards is another concern,” it adds.