PANAJI
As the Supreme Court sets the annual iron ore production and export limit to 20 million tonnes, the Directorate of Mines and Geology (DMG) is working on a mechanism to allocate the production limit amongst the auctioned mineral blocks.
The Environmental Clearance (EC) has already been granted to five mineral blocks for production of around 5 million tonnes of iron ore annually (MTPA).
The State has so far auctioned nine mineral blocks and three more have been put up for auction, next month.
The public hearing for seven mineral blocks has already taken place, of which Vedanta Limited has already commenced operation of its mineral block at Bicholim which has got EC for production of 3 MTPA.
Whereas ECs have been granted to Fomento Resources Pvt Ltd for its Advalpale-Thivim Mineral block (0.3 MTPA), Monte De Sirigao Mineral block belonging to Rajaram Bandekar Mines Pvt Ltd (0.5 MTPA) and Sirigao-Mayem mineral block belonging to Vedanta (1.0 MTPA).
The public hearing for Cudnem-Cormolem mineral block, seeking EC for production of 0.5 MTPA was held last month, while for Cudnem Mineral Block (0.5 MTPA), is scheduled on October 18.
“We will have to see that the production capacity does not exceed 20 million tonnes cap. Accordingly, a mechanism will have to be put in place,” a senior official said.
The schedule for public hearing for Surla Sonshi Mineral Block and Kalay Mineral block in Sanguem is yet to be announced.
During a pre-bid meeting held for three mineral blocks- Honda (X) in North Goa and Curpem-Sulcorna (XI) and Codli mineral block (XII) in South, interested mining companies had raised apprehensions with regards to possible extraction limits that would be granted.
“The company highlighted that as per the Supreme Court judgment of April 21, 2014, it has set 20 MTPA extraction limit; if that is the case, what was the total capacity of EC of mining already auctioned in the state and the limit of maximum annual excavation for this mineral blocks, that are now put up for auction,” official said.
The companies also sought to know how the 20MTPA production cap is proposed to be allocated to the various mining leases. “DMG has assured the companies that it is working on the modalities to fix the extraction cap,” an official said.
