PANAJI
The consent to operate four mining leases will be taken up by the Goa State Pollution Control Board in its upcoming meeting scheduled next week.
The leases belong to Geeta Bala Parulekar in Pissurlem, V G Quenim mine at Sonshi, N S Narvenkar mine at Kalay mine in Sanguem and Ramakanta Velingkar mine in Dharbandora.
In July last year, the Board had given consent to 57 mines to operate, paving the way for the annual extraction of 13.793 million metric tonnes to be exported.
However, despite having all the requisite permissions, most of the leases are yet to be operational, with sources from the industry revealing that mining will commence only next season as it will not be profitable to start just for the few months of the year until the monsoons.
Several other issues will also be taken up by the Board at its meeting, including that of the cumulative pollution caused by the coal handling at the Mormugao Port by JSW and Adani units.
“The Board will have to take a decision, since pollution from both the handlers have crossed the limit. They both claim they are within the limit, but when combined, they cross the limit,” Noronha said.
BOX:
PANAJI: By April this year, the capital city of Panaji will have a Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station to be set up at the Kadamba bus stand that will offer real time air quality readings.
Announcing this, GSPCB Chairman José Manuel Noronha said that, beside the stationary station, the Board was also in the process of acquiring a mobile station which could be moved around to test the air quality of places where the quality was believed to be bad.
“If there is any temporary fair we can go there, park the vehicle and test the quality of the air,” Noronha added.
The equipment is being procured at a cost of ₹1.80 crore.
