HC s latest ruling on environment clearance for iron ore miners will make it improbable to revive mining this year; environmentalists feel that even after getting ECs, locals may move court if they feel that the EC obtaining process hasn’t been correct
From being the largest contributor to State revenue over a decade back, Goa’s mining sector today is struggling to survive as iron ore mining has been stalled ever since the Supreme Court cancelled 88 mining leases in the state on February 7, 2018. It has affected nearly 3 lakh people, who have been directly and indirectly dependent on mining. There is extreme pressure on the State government to restart iron ore mining activities to salvage the deteriorating financial health of Goa. SHWETA KAMAT finds that although the government appears confident of restarting the iron ore activities from this year, it may not be as simple as it seems