Almost 70 iron ore mines in Goa fall within the prohibited 10-km radius of National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries, the Supreme Court was informed on Thursday by a panel appointed by it which also said that the environment clearance certificates of miners in the coastal state must be reviewed.
“Mining operations are not permissible within a distance of 1 km of the boundaries of a National Park/Wildlife Sanctuary. Pursuant to the earlier order of the top court, the environment clearances granted to the mining leases located within a distance of 10 km of nearby National Parks/ Sanctuaries are required to be placed before the standing committee for National Board of Wildlife, which has not been done here,” A.D.N. Rao, the counsel for the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) told a forest bench headed by Justice A.K. Patnaik.
The plea was vehemently opposed by senior advocates K.K. Venugopal and Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for mining companies, who said that the issue of keeping a buffer zone around national parks and sanctuaries are still pending in the court. “Moreover, the 10-km radius rule could not be applied uniformly across the country as it will cover almost all of Goa,” Mr Rohatgi said.
“Have we delivered the judgment? Despite all your maturity, you all are getting nervous,” the bench, also comprising Justices S.S. Nijjar and F.M. Ibrahim Kalifulla, told the senior lawyers appearing for the miners.
The CEC, earlier on December 7 last year, had recommended revocation of environmental clearances granted to 42 iron ore mining leases located near national parks and sanctuaries in the state. During the hearing, the court took strong note of the absence of the counsel for the MOEF and mining. The counsel for the CEC, in his day-long arguments, referred to various orders of the top court and the CEC report on illegal mining in Goa and said the leases of firms, which operate within the prohibited buffer zone of national parks and sanctuaries, be reviewed.