PANAJI: Legal mining can finally be continued in the four stretch of the Chapora River, after the authority of the gave environmental impact assessment (Goa-Seiaa) approved a proposal at his meeting in October 5.
However, Seiaa has asked further scientific studies conducted in the case of two other zones in Chapora.
The application was received from the North Goa collector for six zones on the river for sand mining.
“After considering the recommendations of the Committee and examining the applications and documents submitted by the Project Proponent Meeting.
To start, the extraction of sand in this fourth zone will only take a 50% capacity for the first three years.
The following capacity will be decided after the three-year period ends.
“In fact, proposals relating to zones 3 (section 1 and part 2) and 4 can be referred to the committee of the Gua State Expert Assessment (SEAC) to conduct further scientific studies in this issue,” Goa-seiaa said.
Record reports by scientists from the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), Goa-SEAC – Advisory agencies to declare the Environmental Permit – Previously remembering extraction in the Chapora River.
However, the committee has set limits, including installing the CCTV system to monitor extraction.
Under the rules of the Minor Goa minor concession, 1985, permission for sand extraction is given every year.
But after CRZ 2011 notification was issued, giving permission for sand extraction was stopped from 2011-12 and so on.
Two different committees under two district collectors were formed by the State Department of Environment to give permission to extract sand.
In August 2013, several Mandovi stretches, the Chapora River and Tiracol were identified for the extraction of sand.
In 2017-18, 323 permits in North Goa and 11 in South Goa were released or updated, and valid until May 2018.