Says restoration must be done within the approval period
PANAJI
The Goa State Expert Appraisal Committee (Goa SEAC) under the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has recommended Environmental Clearance (EC) for Chowgule and Company Pvt Ltd to handle an iron ore dump located on private land outside the lease area in Onda village, Sattari.
At its meeting on October 24, the SEAC recommended the project to the Goa State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (Goa SEIAA) for EC approval for five years.
According to the proposal, the dump has been in place since 2004 and contains iron ore of around 40 per cent purity. The dump lies between contour levels of about 116m and 161m. On the southern side is the Block-X Onda Mineral Block of Agravanshi Private Limited, with a 7.5-metre buffer maintained.
“The Environmental Clearance will be valid for five years, and the restoration or reclamation of the dump site must be completed within this period,” the SEAC said.
It added that the EC is recommended under the EIA Notification, 2006, and does not replace any other approvals or permissions required under different laws. “The project proponent must obtain all other necessary approvals as required under relevant Acts and regulations,” the Authority said.
The SEAC has also directed the former leaseholder to follow the State government’s Dump Policy, which sets a ceiling of 25 million tonnes per year for dump transportation.
