PANAJI
The Supreme Court of India has sought the response of the State government to Goa Foundation's plea that the mining cap be reduced from the 20 MMT permitted by the Supreme Court back in 2014 to 12 MMT owing to "havoc and violation of human rights" by mining companies.
The Goa Foundation has cited what it calls is the "overdrive" of mining in Sonshi village that caused an "environmental nightmare that completely covered the village of Sonshi."
When the matter came up for hearing on Thursday, the Supreme Court issued the notice. The Court directed replies be filed in two weeks and the matter be placed on board for adjudication in the third week of November. The IA was filed in Writ Petition No.435/2012 (Goa Foundation v/s UOI & others).
On the other hand, the State government is preparing a detailed letter to the Ministry of Environment and Forests to submit a plan replete with mitigation measures to seek a raising the cap to 30 MMT per year.
The Goa Foundation in its plea has submitted that none of the infrastructural improvements, that the Goa government had promised to make on affidavits it had filed in Writ Petition No.435/2012, had been implemented.
"No efforts had been made to take action against erring companies despite a severe indictment of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India relating to illegal mining and exports from the State of Goa," Alvares said in a statement to the media on Thursday.
The Goa Foundation has also filed a contempt petition before the High Court against the Pollution Control Board in connection with the Sonshi environmental disaster. The contempt petition seeks action against the chairman of the Board and officials on the ground that they did not implement the directions specifically issued to the Board to monitor and take action against mining companies violating environmental laws.
