- Chowgule, V. M. Salgaocar accorded permission to lift dumps
- 700 mnt of iron ore to be treated under dump handling policy
The Goa government has allowed Chowgule and Co. Pvt Ltd and V. M. Salgaocar and Bro. Pvt. Ltd to to clear dumps, under its 2023 dump handling policy. Permission for Chowgule, according to a media report, is 2.8 million tonnes (mnt) of dumps, while VM Salgaocar now has permission to clear 17 mnt of low grade iron ore lying at its yard in Surla.
Chowgule had earlier been granted permission to handle 1.3 mnt of dumps on private land owned by it in Shirgao. The government hopes to clear 700 mnt of low-grade iron ore dumps under its dump handling policy, which has been challenged in court. There is no stay from the courts against handling of these dumps, however.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, earlier this month, said 20 mining dumps in south Goa had been identified for e‑auction in the first phase. This would happen alongside the 31st e‑auction of already extracted ore this month.
The dump policy notified on 14 September, 2023 and approved by the state cabinet on 15 March, 2024 was recently tweaked. Bidders are now required to provide jobs to local residents, and risk being blacklisted and penalised on failing to initiate dispatch within 180 days of winning the auction. They will also need to submit a Detailed Project Report (DPR), with estimated quantity of waste at the dump site, a comprehensive waste handling plan, provisions for drainage and environmental impact management, and proposed reclamation plan.
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