PANAJI: The Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) has begun inspecting 30 mining leases, the ore extraction quota of which were recently enhanced by the directorate of mines and geology (DMG). Around 10 central and state government departments were asked for their views on the report prepared by the six-member expert committee appointed by the Supreme Court, which had recommended an extraction limit of 37 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) of iron ore in the state. Following this, it will take a decision on granting consent to operate under the augmented extraction quota.A senior GSPCB officer said owners of the 30 mining leases approached the board after their mining plans were approved by the Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM), adding that none can proceed with extracting ore up to the enhanced limit if the board doesn't grant its consent. "We have visited some of the mines and will start issuing consent to operate certificates," the officer said.The state government recently increased the iron ore extraction quota of 30 mining leases in a bid to augment Goa's revenue from mining exports, which could then be used to pay off pending loans and initiate development works. But it has to first exhaust the cap of 20 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) before it approaches the Supreme Court to increase the extraction limit.Earlier this week, the Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change (MoEFCC) began seeking comments from a number of state and central departments over increasing the iron ore output cap in Goa.
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