PANAJI
The State government's Directorate of Mines and Geology on Monday opened a window to apply for sand mining licences for 'local communities' and individuals in four zones of the Chapora river.
The process to apply for the sand mining leases has been made 100 per cent online and the cut-off date to make the applications is January 8 next year.
Licences will be issued for sand mining in the manual mode for four zones of the Chapora river -- Zones 1, 2, 5 and 6.
The DMG had notified changes in the Goa Minor Mineral Concession Rules in early December to kick-start the process of issuing licences for sand mining after several years of deadlock due to court interventions banning the activity citing environmental concerns.
Under the modified regimen, a 1,000 cubic meters per year upper limit has been set and extraction limited to between 6 am and 6 pm.
Mechanized extraction has been banned and of all new leases to be issued, 70% are reserved for traditional sand miners and 30% for freshers.
The courts had banned sand mining in the State over concerns of environmental destruction of riverine ecosystems with erosion of the banks of several rivers including Tiracol in some parts of Pernem, Chapora in Siolim and other contiguous areas of Bardez being blamed on the activity.
