Panaji, Apr 14: Goa government will soon amend the current rules to give more teeth to enforcement agencies for curtailing illegal mining and related activities in the coastal state.
State Mines and Geology Department Director Arvind Lolienkar said the process to amend 'Goa Prevention of Illegal Mining and Transportation and Storage of Mineral Rules, 2004' has already begun.
"The rules would be amended and ready to be implemented by next mining season, starting in October this year," Lolienkar said.
Goa has 105 operational mining sites from which 45 million metric tones of iron ore is exported to various countries. Considering the huge demand for iron ore, there are several illegal mining sites that have sprung up creating a massive ecological menace in the tiny state.