MINES DEPARTMENT PROCESSING 800 REQUESTS,GREEN SEES RED

The state mines department is currently processing 800-odd applications for permissions to carry out prospecting of iron ore and bauxite and also for renewal of Portuguese era leases. Environmentalists and anti-mining activists, however, feel it is time the state limited mining to sustainable levels. The continuous demand for Goa’s low grade ore has spurred holders of decades-old leases to dust their licenses and seek their renewal or purchase rights from others. Inquiries with the department reveal that 400-odd requests have been received for renewal of leases, many of which had not been operated for almost four decades. There are also some 400 fresh applications for prospecting purposes, especially in the talukas of Sanguem, Quepem and Canacona. As of now, 80 to 100-odd leases are in operation. Admitting that 400-odd new applications have been received for prospecting, a source in the mines department said, "These may take a long time and it depends on the government’s policy." Environmentalists, however, aren’t too pleased with the development. Goa Foundation’s Claude Alvares said, "Goa is already suffering and burning from mining for the last 20 years, especially during the last few years. It is important to assess the damage already caused. If the government is committed in protecting Goa’s environment and water bodies, then it should do so." Many feel that the government should determine the area and number of leases to be operated at any given time. Environmentalist Ramesh Gawas said, "Earlier, leases were granted to operate only manually in thinly populated areas, but now machinery can destroy a landscape within a few days, and the fallouts are irreversible for denser habitations." Agrees Yogita Mehra of TERI, the energy research institute in Goa. "It would be a good idea to consider some kind of ceiling on how much land, given Goa’s small size and fragile eco system, can be dedicated for mining in a sustainable manner," Mehra said.