Panaji: A Goa government panel has recommended capping mining activity in the coastal state at 20 million metric ton in the next four years in order to protect fragile ecosystem and reduce the social stress.
Goa Golden Jubilee Development Council (GGJDC), headed by scientist Raghunath Mashelkar, has pointed out that unbridled mining activity has surpassed the social and environmental threshold in the region.
A document, tilted Vision 2035, prepared by the panel has proposed an upper limit at around 20 million metric ton on mining between 2010-15 to protect deteriorating ecosystem and social stress in the region.
The document was handed over to Chief Minister Digambar Kamat on the state Liberation Day on December 19.
Majority of the cumulative export of 54 million metric ton from Goa is Iron Ore owing to a huge demand in steel industry from China.
The Mashelkar panel has also recommended a ban on mining activity in protected areas like wildlife sanctuaries, national parks and even in the high-sensitive regions of the state.
"Close all mines that have been extracting ore beyond limits allowed by environmental clearance given by Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF)," the document reads, adding "mining leases in wildlife sanctuaries should be permanently cancelled".
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