In all, 35 mines in Goa might have to suspend their operations immediately as the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) has decided to issue notices to them this week for operating without consent, a senior official said on Monday.
GSPCB Chairman, Mr Simon De Souza, said these mines have failed to get the consent under the Pollution Control Act. The total number of mines in operation in Goa is 105.
“They (35 mines) will have to stop their operations immediately after receiving the notice,” he said.
A bench of the Bombay High Court in Goa had recently asked GSPCB to suspend operations of these mines for working without getting consent under the Act.
The closure of the mines would be a major setback for iron ore export trade as Goa exported 54 million tonnes of ore in the last financial year, generating revenue of Rs 900 crore.
Mr De Souza said that GSPCB did not have enough manpower to verify whether the mines have stopped the operations after issuing notices. “But if they disobey the notices, then they will be facing contempt of court,” he added.
Several mines operating around wildlife sanctuaries and forest areas have not been given clearance by the Forest Department, which is mandatory for getting the consent under the Pollution Control Act.
Forest officials said that the NOC for these mines can only be given after deciding on the buffer zone around wildlife sanctuaries and forest areas.
Principal Additional Chief Conservator of Forests, Mr Shashi Kumar, has written to the State Government stating that the Forest Department will have to refer these mining cases to the National Wildlife Board under the Ministry of Environment and Forest before granting them NOC.