PANAJI: More than 200 roadside concrete block manufacturing units will be closed down by the Goa state pollution control board (GSPCB) for creating nuisance and environmental pollution in the area.

Panaji: Goa's Ganesh celebrations have turned eco-friendly, as the use of Plaster of Paris (PoP) in the making of a Ganesh idol has shown a drastic decline from 35% a few years ago, to 0.67% this f

PANAJI: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has constituted a committee to oversee that casino operators comply with municipal solid waste (MSW) rules, even as it noted that casino vessels cannot be

The mining stakeholders have demanded that the state government should immediately frame a mining policy aimed at early resumption of mining activities in the state.

PANAJI: In a case filed against casino vessels for allegedly causing pollution in the Mandovi river, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has sought to know from the state government as to whether the gambling law can be extended beyond the land area.

The NGT bench headed by Justice V R Kingaonkar had observed recently that the advocate general (AG) of the state 'may also explain and enlighten this tribunal as to whether the Goa Public Gambling Act, 1976, can be extended beyond the land area'.

Indian School of Mines (ISM), Dhanbad, assigned to conduct an environment impact study (EIS) on Goa's mining, has found high air pollution in the state's five mining talukas.

The state government has finalized the mining policy and is likely to notify it shortly so as to submit it before the apex court next week.

Admitting that the development is on account of the Supreme Court asking about the regulatory mechanisms in place to check illegal mining in Goa, chief minister Manohar Parrikar told STOI, "The policy itself has regulatory mechanisms. It has been finalized, will be notified any moment and a copy submitted to the apex court." He added that minor changes have been incorporated into the draft policy as per the objections and suggestions received by the mines department.

Supreme Court ban on mining in Goa has had a domino effect on multiple trading activities, and the economic crisis gripping the state could turn for the worse, say Govind Kamat Maad and Murari Shetye

While the mining ban in Goa has helped change the red-belt into a green-belt, its impact on the socio-economic structure of the state has left a deep scar. Worst hit economically by the no-go is eastern Goa region. All the mines are concentrated in the hills of Sahyadri in Bicholim, Satari, Quepem, Sanguem and Dharbandora.