Panaji (Goa) The Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) today in-principle granted Consent to Operate to six iron ore mining leases, which were allegedly found operational without valid environment clearance (EC).

The six mining lease, whose Consent validity expired on December 31, 2017, belongs to M/s Vedanta Ltd Codli iron ore mine, M/s VM Salgaokar & Bros Ltd Velguem- Surla mine and Sigao mine, M/s Sesa Mining Corp Ltd Sirigao mine, M/s Pandurang Timblo Industries Advona Iron ore mine and M/s Beddrudin Mavani’s Kevona Mine. 

The leases were issued show cause notices last month stating why the consent to operate should not be rejected in light of the observations and directions mentioned in a recent Supreme Court judgment. In the Orissa mining case, the court had said that EC issued under the 1994 environment impact assessment (EIA) notification are not valid.

The ECs were issued under the 1994 environment impact assessment (EIA) notification, which were termed as invalid by the Supreme Court.