New Delhi: The government today put on hold
granting of environment clearance for mining proposals in Goa
till the state finalises its mineral policy.
In a letter to Goa Chief Minister Digambar Kamat,
Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh conveyed his decision to
put a moratorium on consideration of mining proposals for Goa
till the state finalises its mineral policy.
Kamat had earlier requested Ramesh to put on hold the
environment clearances to proposals as the state was in the
process of evolving a mineral policy.
"I am advising the officer concerned to return all the
proposals to the proponents which are pending for
consideration and not to accept any new proposals for the
state of Goa," Ramesh wrote in a letter to Kamat.
He said the Environment Ministry was also planning to
conduct an environmental impact assessment study of all the
mining activities across the country.
Ramesh said he was planning to rope in Nagpur-based
National Environmental Engineering Research Institute to
conduct this study to identify remedial measures to reduce the
impact on environment by mining activities.
-PTI
