PANAJI
Even as the Chief Minister Pramod Sawant announced to get environmental clearance (EC) for undertaking sand extraction along three riverbeds within a month time, Goa will have to wait till March 31, 2024 when the National Green Tribunal (NGT) is expected to hold final hearing in the matter related to sand mining activities in the State.
Until then, no permits would be granted for sand mining and all the applications related to grant of environmental clearance (EC) would be kept on hold by the Goa State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (Goa-SEIAA).
The NGT via an order dated March 17, 2023 had stated that SEIAA cannot issue any permits for sand extraction in the State till the final hearings takes place, which is now scheduled on March 31. Accordingly, the SEIAA during its meeting held in June 2023, resolved “after perusing the order dated 17/3/2023, issued by National Green Tribunal, Western Bench Pune, the Authority decided to put the matter on hold until the final hearing of NGT”.
Sources informed that since the matter continues to remain pending before the NGT; State cannot go ahead with grant of EC and permits. “The State government is on record before the NGT that it will not grant sand extraction permits till NGT decides on the matter,” sources said.
The Goa River Sand Protectors Network (GRSPN) in November 2021 had filed an appeal before the Tribunal challenging the Goa-SEIAA ECs for sand extraction in River Chapora - Zone 1 in Morjim, in Zone 2 Pirna, in Zone 5 Ozorim, in Zone 6 Agarwada, in Zone 3 Camurlim and Zone 4 in Revora. It alleged that the EC by the Goa-SEIAA are against the law laid down by the Supreme Court and the tribunal.
The Goa-SEIAA had in October 2021, granted EC to North Goa District Collector to carry out sand mining in River Chapora, manually by traditional communities. The decision of SEIAA was taken on the basis of a report submitted by the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO).
While illegal sand mining is rampant, the legal activities are banned in the State since 2018 after GRSPN had approached the High Court of Bombay at Goa seeking restrictions on the number of sand mining permits. DMG had issued over 300 sand mining permits for the 2017-18 seasons with a cap of 6,000 cu. on extraction.
