Even as four permissions for sand mining in theChaporariver have been challenged before the (NGT), the directorate of mines and geology (DMG) has told the Goa State Expert Appraisal Committee (Goa-SEAC) that the state had taken up the process of getting Environment clearances for sand mining in Goa only to help poorGoanvillagers. The state earns no revenue from sand mining, the DMG said.
The government of Goa has not considered sand mining as a means to max-imise revenue (but) has treated it as a livelihood for the poor village people by allowing extraction by manual method only. Further, in order to help the poor village people, the government of Goa decided to take the responsibility of getting all the procedure done, including EC, upon itself, the DMG stated in its submission.
The government, therefore, decided that the respective district collectors will apply for ECs and allow villagers to apply for sand mining permissions not exceeding 1,000 cubic metres per year, by manual method only, said the department. It was for this reason that the Goa Minor Mineral Concession (Amendment) Rules 2022 were notified, the DMG stated.