Issuing of permits to start after clearance, says official
PANAJI
Following Environmental Clearances (ECs) for sand extraction, the Directorate of Mines and Geology (DMG) has now approached the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) seeking CRZ clearance for undertaking sand mining in 12 zones across the Rivers Mandovi and Zuari.
Last month, the Goa State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) granted prior ECs for sand extraction. The ECs, however, are valid for a period of one year and are subject to clearance from the GCZMA.
Speaking to The Goan, Director of Mines Narayan Gad said that the department has made an application to the GCZMA seeking its NOC-cum-CRZ clearance for sand mining. “We have to follow the conditions laid down in the EC, which clearly make it mandatory to opt for CRZ clearance before issuing permits,” he said.
The DMG has received almost 185 applications for sand mining in 12 zones across the Rivers Mandovi and Zuari.
“Once the CRZ clearance is obtained, we will start issuing permits,” he said, adding, “as per the rule, we will make sure 70 per cent of the licences are issued to traditional extractors.”
Gad said that the process to demarcate and geo-tag the areas for stacking the extracted sand is currently ongoing. “We are demarcating specific areas for stacking the sand. The area will be geo-tagged for monitoring. We will start issuing permits in the first phase, where the demarcation is completed,” he said.
The DMG will impose a cap on individuals to carry out 1,000 cubic metres of sand mining per year as per the Goa Mineral Concession (Amendment) Rules 2022.
Gad said that, as directed by the SEIAA, the department will explore the possibility of minimising the number of permits per zone, limiting it to around five to seven permits per zone only.
In its series of directions, the Authority has asked the DMG to ensure geo-tagging of the canoes, study the riverbank with respect to erosion or the possibility of erosion, and conduct surveys along the bank to understand illegality, along with submitting six-monthly compliance reports.
The sand extraction activity is restricted to only manual methods and is allowed between 6.00 am and 6.00 pm, with no extraction or related activities permitted during the monsoon period.
Legal sand mining activities have been banned in the State since 2018 following directions from the High Court and the National Green Tribunal.
