Iron-ore laden jetties in Goa have become a cause of concern for the State pollution control authorities.
The Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) has decided to order inspection of all the 28 jetties along riversides, where the ore is stacked, to ensure that the ore does not run down into the river and pollute it. The ore was held back from being exported following the Supreme Court ban in September.
GSPCB Chairman Jose Manuel Noronha said the exporters would be asked to take adequate steps to ensure that the iron ore does not run into the water bodies as the State may witness heavy rainfall from June onwards.
The south-west monsoon is expected to arrive in Goa in the first week of June, soon after it touches Kerala.
Noronha said precautions should be taken to ensure that the iron ore does not get mixed with the river waters.
Goa Government statistics reveal that four million tonnes of iron ore has been stacked in various jetties along the riverside.
Mining in iron ore-rich Goa has been banned since September last year. The Supreme Court has also banned its export.
The barges (ships) usually carry this ore through inland waterways to the sea and dump it in the trans-shippers.
The Goa State Mines and Geology Department Director Prasana Acharya said the State Government cannot intervene as the Supreme Court has ordered against moving of the ore.
“There is every possibility that ore would get washed-off into the rivers. There cannot be any precautionary measures to (avoid) this situation,” he said.