PANAJI
The Goa River Sand Protectors Network, a body of environmental activists who have been opposing the sand extraction in Goa have filed an appeal in the National Green Tribunal challenging the clearances granted by the State authorities for legal sand mining in the State.
The Network, which is led by the Goa Foundation, among other activist bodies has alleged before National Green Tribunal that the clearances granted “are in violation of the procedures and approvals governing sand mining under the EIA Notification 2006.”
“They have been granted without complying with mandatory requirements of the Sustainable Sand Mining Guidelines of 2016 and the Enforcement and Monitoring Guidelines of sand mining, 2020. These guidelines collectively prescribe comprehensive procedures for notifying sand mining zones and granting permits which are required to be complied with,” the Goa River Sand Protectors Network, said in a statement.
The Goa State Environment Impact Assessment Agency had granted environmental clearances to a list of sites in Goa based on a study report submitted by the National Institute of Oceanography, to carry out sand mining in four zones of the Chapora river in North Goa.
The petitioners argue that without a District Survey Report (DSR), no environment clearance can be even considered.
The collective has appealed to the National Green Tribunal that all the four clearances should be reversed.
The Directorate of Mines and Geology (DMG) had not renewed or granted sand mining permits for the last three seasons -- 2018, 2019 and 2020 -- after an NGO had approached the High Court of Bombay at Goa.
Earlier year in 2017-18 DMG had issued over 300 sand mining permits with a cap of 6000 cum on extraction.
