PIRNA IRON ORE MINE, GOA STAYED BY NATIONAL ENVIRONMENT APPELLATE AUTHORITY

In a significant decision, the National Environment Appellate Authority on 10-05-2010 has stayed the Environmental Clearance granted to the mine of Ms Sesa Goa ( a Vedanta owned company) located at Village Pirna and Nadora in Bardez Taluk, North Goa. The project was granted environmental clearance by the Ministry of Environment and Forest on 09-06.2009 and was challenged before the National Environment Appellate Authority, New Delhi by a local group called Pirna Naroda Nagrik Kruti Samiti. The main ground for challenge was that at the Public hearing held for the project, there was 100 % opposition on behalf of the local people to the mining project. Yet the Expert Appraisal Committee decided to overlook the opposition and in a mechanical fashion recommended for grant of environmental clearance. The minutes of the EAC meeting did not reveal that the EAC even bothered to look at the minutes of the Public Hearing. Further, the EAC at the time was headed by one M.L Majumdar who himself was on the board of four mining companies and therefore the decision was biased has held by the Delhi High Court in the case of Uttakarsh Mandal Vs Ministry of Environment and Forests

SESA Goa however took the stand that 53 people supported the project. The NEAA however did not accept this contention since none of the 53 persons supporting the project were present at the Public Hearing.

The NEAA in its order directed that he Ministry of Environment and Forest should constitute a sub committee of the EAC to visit the area and examine the reasons for the opposition to the mining and reexamine its impact on agriculture horticulture, school children, health, habitation, river and ground water etc and also in the light of the fact that the Ministry of Environment has imposed a moratorium on mining in Goa. The NEAA further directed that the Committee should have three environment experts and one mining expert and advance intimation be given to the persons of the area who opposed the project.

The NEAA directed that the Environmental Clearance granted should be held in abeyance until further orders.

Ritwick Dutta

Chapora river whose banks Vedanta wants to mine at Pirna, Goa

Sesa Goa mining company owned by British corporate has developed insatiable desires to mine the Chapora river banks at Pirna, Bardez. for more information on this click here.

This picture from the top of Chopem-Siolim bridge in Bardez.

Sebastian Rodrigues

Chapora River to be mined by Vedanta

This picture shows boundary stone of Sesa Goa mine at Nanoda-Pirna, Bardez. The condition for clearance by the ministry is that the Mine would be made operational at the distance of 50 meters from the banks of Chapora River. This was brought to the notice of the Union Environment and Forest Minister Jairam Ramesh while he was in Goa for the Public Hearing on CRZ. This case was pointed to him by Ramesh Gauns of Goa Federation of Mines Affected People (GOAMAP). Minister was caught unaware and declared that the Environment Clearance granted to this mine would be reviewed. We are however yet to get the copy of the revocation of Environmental Clearance by his Ministry.

Tidal effect is clear from this age old sluice gate at the banks of Chapora river at Nadora-Pirna, Bardez.

May the greed of Anil Agrawal, Director of Vedanta - who has purchased Sesa Goa mining company- wind up all its operations in Goa soon forever. Till that time our mid-night lamp will continue to burn for the sake of generations yet to be born and those just born to pass on this earth in healthy condition that we have inherited from our past countless generations.

Sebastian Rodrigues

Post Script:-

This mining lease number is 32/1955. However the document of Environmental Clearance by Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) states it as 23/1955. The implications of this reality is that all the work carried on Sesa Goa in Nadora-Pirna in Bardez Taluka is null and void.