PANAJI
The High Court of Bombay at Goa has ordered three mining companies to pay Rs 2 crore to the District Mineral Fund (DMF) as compensation for damage caused to agricultural land in Sirigao village.
A Division Bench of Justices M S Karnik and Nivedita Mehta directed Sesa Mining Corporation, Rajaram Bandekar, and Chougule & Co ” who held mining leases in parts of Sirigao ” to jointly pay the amount within six months.
The order came after villagers from Sirigao wrote to the court about damage to their farmland, particularly the Savat and Kharat Khazans.
An NGO pointed out that the companies had earlier deposited Rs 2 crore, while the Water Resources Department estimated the total damage at Rs 4 crore. To begin repairs, the remaining Rs 2 crore was taken from the DMF, with the understanding that the companies would repay it later.
During the hearing, the companies argued that they had already contributed to the DMF, and that the fund should be used to fix environmental damage caused by their mining activities.
However, the court said that under the “polluter pays” principle, the companies themselves must pay for the damage. It added that it is not the government’s or taxpayers’ responsibility to bear these costs.
The State, represented by Advocate General Devidas Pangam, confirmed that the companies had signed an agreement taking responsibility for any damage caused by their operations ” even beyond their lease areas.
