Panaji, Apr 30 (TOI): The Goa state pollution control board (GSPCB) has granted consent to operate, under the Air and Water Acts, to two more mining companies with an iron ore extraction limit of 0.2 million tonnes. This takes the total iron ore extraction limit up to 15.2 million tonnes. The board has also granted consent to operate to a manganese mine.

The board has allowed Rajaram Bandekar (Sirigao Mines) Private Limited an extraction limit of 0.197 million tonnes per annum, while Madachem Bat Mines Private Limited has been allowed an extraction limit of 0.012 million tonnes per annum. Gajanan S Padiyar, meanwhile, has been granted consent to operate a manganese mine.

"Applications from mining companies were placed before the technical advisory committee (TAC) of the board, and an inspection report of mines visited by officials of the board was also attached," a GSPCB official said. Upon the committee approving them, the applications were placed before the board.
On January 28, the GSPCB granted consent to operate, under the Air and Water Acts, to four mining companies with an iron ore extraction limit of 1.5 million tonnes. In July last year, it had granted consent to operate to 56 mining leases to mine 13.79 million tonnes of iron ore under the Air and Water Acts, subject to approval of mining plans by the Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM). The consent is valid for one year.

The Supreme Court, in its 2014 judgment of an illegal mining case, fixed a cap of 20 million tonnes on iron ore extraction in the state.