Sonshi (Goa): The iron ore mining companies having their leases in Sonshi village of Sattari, will have to wait for resumption of iron ore activities till May 15, when the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) will decide on their Consent to Operate applications.

The mining activities at Sonshi are shut down since April 28 after GSPCB declined granting 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 action was initiated following High Court direction, who took ‘suo moto cognizance’ in the matter where villagers protested in large numbers.

The Board under its chairman Dharmendra Sharma, who is also Chief Secretary, was supposed to have meeting on Saturday wherein the data on air pollution was to be placed and studied. However, since the data report was not ready, the meeting has been postponed till May 15.

The Board has recently installed a full-fledged ambient air monitoring station at Sonshi.  Also the mining companies had assured to take remedial measures to mitigate pollution.

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.

Team TNV