Jairam Ramesh puts on hold environ clearance for Goa mining projects

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.