Supreme Court had imposed an interim ban on mining activity in Goa in September last.

The NGT passed the order on April 2 after Kerala submitted that non-finalisation of the Gadgil panel report is affecting the state's commercial activities and development

The National Green Tribunal has asked the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) to take expeditious steps to finalise the report of Gadgil Committee or any "other panel" set up to study the environmental sensitivity and ecological significance of the Western Ghats.

PANJIM: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national secretary Aarti Mehra on Wednesday assured that her government in Goa would take necessary action against all those involved in illegal mining scam, amounting to thousands of crore of rupees.

Speaking to media persons in Panjim, Mehra said ‘Manohar Parrikar led government will not spare anyone involved in illegal mining’. She said that Chief Minister being a responsible person will ensure that culprits are punished. “Manohar is very sensitive towards the issue,” she stated.

PANJIM: State has approximately two billion tonnes of iron ore reserves, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar told the State Legislative Assembly on Wednesday, and assured that he would carry out an estimate of the exact quantity of ore lying in all mining leases in Goa.

Justifying the government’s decision to impose stamp duty on renewal of mining lease, Parrikar said that ‘government is trying to recover the amount lost by the State in form of lease amount, dumps, etc over the years. He, however, clarified that signing of lease agreement does not allow any firm to carry out mining, unless it has all required documents.

PANJIM: The mining ban has come as a blessing for people living in mining belts as government records indicate that pollution levels along the mining talukas have shown a drastic decline.

According to the data tabled in the House by Minister for Environment Alina Saldanha, since September 2012, the pollution level has been much below the permissible limit, which was beyond permissible limit from 2011 till September 2012.

PANJIM: The State government will attach and auction mining dumps and is just waiting for a go-ahead from the Supreme Court to get into the act, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar told the Assembly on Tuesday.

He added that he expected mining to commence by next season, and that the apex court matter should be resolved by May. “Next season we should be able to start mining, it should be resolved by the Supreme Court by May,” Parrikar said.

PANJIM: The Opposition and allies Monday vociferously attacked the government demanding to know why no action was being taken against those involved in illegal mining even one year after the scam, with one legislator calling Goa a “haven for illegal mining.”

Congress MLA Mauvin Godinho demanded that the blatant cases be taken up first and the dicey ones later, so that money starts flowing into the State treasury, while MGP’s Lavoo Mamledar and Congress’s Vishwajit Rane demanded that the government keep a check on companies and truckers who were transporting ore in Maharashtra and Karnataka registered trucks, in order to convince people that the ore was from outside the State.

PANJIM: Water Resources Minister Dayanand Mandrekar admitted and regretted that powers to grant or deny No Objection Certificates (NOCs) to constructions within the command area of Tillari, Anjunem and Selaulim were withdrawn from the Water Resources Department since 2006.

Mandrekar also promised to activate the Command Area Development Authorities (CADAs) of all the irrigation projects in the State. Replying to the discussion on demands for grants to the Water Resources Department, the minister said that the powers were revoked by the Town and Country Planning Department in 2006.

Govt takes possession of almost 99 per cent of land; group of farmers refuse award

PERNEM: In what could be the final lift off for the Mopa Greenfield airport, the government Monday took possession of almost 99 per cent of the land required for the airport proper, with now only the land for approach road remaining to be acquired. The Reference for Quotation tender ~ the next step ~ is expected to be put up, inviting global partners within a fortnight but could be even as close as 11th of April.

PANAJI: The Goa state pollution control board has decided to crack the whip against manufacture and use of the poor quality plastic below 40 microns and threatened action against the violators of t