Panaji (Goa): The iron ore mining activities at Sonshi village in Sattari will remain to be suspended till May 13, as the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) failed to take any decision on granting consent to operate to 12 leases during their meeting on Friday.

The Board has deferred the meeting till May 13, wherein the mining firms have been asked to produce the data related to air pollution.

The Consent to Operate will be granted under Air (preservation and control of pollution) Act.

“The situation will remain as it is till May 13. We have deferred the meeting till that date,” Board Chairman and Chief Secretary Dharmendra Sharma told media persons post meeting.

The mining activities at sonshi are shut down since April 28, after GSPCB declined to grant consent to operate to 12 out of 13 mining leases operational there after it observed that the lease holders are involved in dust pollution in the vicinity.

The Board has recently installed a full-fledged ambient air monitoring station at Sonshi.

The 12 leases, whose Consent to Operate has not been renewed belongs to Vedanta Ltd, Chowgules, Geetabai Parulekar, RS Shetye, Kunda Gharse,  sociedade timblo irmaos pvt. Ltd, Sociedade Fomento Pvt Ltd, Cosme Costa and Kashinath Talavlekar.

The only lease belonging to V G Quenim, has been allowed to operate- as its consent expires in August.

Team TNV