70-year-old Goa mining industry comes to halt

PANAJI: For the second time in less than a decade, Goa's nearly seventy-year-old mining industry came to a halt on Thursday. All mining companies ceased their operations in keeping with the February 7 Supreme Court order quashing the renewal of 88 mining leases and stopping mining activities from March 16. Iron ore dumped outside the lease area, however, can be transported till the end of the season, the mines department said.
Around 11 million tonnes of iron ore has been mined till date. The apex court has placed an extraction cap of 20 million tonnes per annum.

Director of mines Prasanna Acharya told TOI that all mining companies have stopped iron ore extraction and transportation from the lease. "No iron ore can be transported from inside the lease from Friday," he said.

Only the ore dumped outside the lease can be exported, Acharya said.

Since February, the number of mining leases in operation have steadily reduced. While in the first week of February, 16 leases were operational, this number dropped to three by March 12.

The mines department has also issued separate instructions to Goa police and leaseholders to ensure that mining operations are brought to a standstill by midnight on Thursday, as per the SC order.

Acharya said the directorate of mines and geology is continuously monitoring mining operations, which may go on till Thursday midnight.

"Since, the ore bodies from mines shall be exposed, there is likelihood that such ore may be subject to theft after March 16 until proper security arrangements are put in place," the directorate of mines said in its communication to Goa police and leaseholders, requesting them to continue security arrangements at the leases at least till March 31 or till "such arrangements are put in place by the state government".