BELGAUM: After strong resent to the proposed by-pass connecting Panjim-Belgaum NH4A to Halga, it is now the turn of proposed Hyderabad-Panjim bypass.

After getting news of the implementation of this new by-pass connecting the NH4A to Hyderabad road, farmers in the region have organised themselves against the proposed by-pass citing loss of fertile land.

In an effort to weed out illegal mining activity, the Goa government is reviewing all files cleared by the State Mines and Geology Department over a decade.

PANJIM: The Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) which is reeling under the pressure of disposing garbage that has accumulated at Patto area for the past six-seven months has another pressing pr

PANJIM: The State Government has offered 27 hectares of government (revenue) land near the Chorao Bird Sanctuary to the Forest Department for compensatory afforestation for diverting a similar amount of forest land in the fast tracked South Goa mining corridor project.

The land bank identified recently belonged to the Animal Husbandry Department and is currently filled with mangrove forests. Twenty-seven hectares of the larger land bank will be transferred to the Forest Department as part of the compensatory afforestation requirements required to be followed while seeking approval for diverting forests, officials told this newspaper.

PANJIM: The state government has assured the High Court that it would draft the state mining policy within three-weeks and that the drafting of the rules is almost complete.

The government has said that the mining policy will come into force from the commencement of the new mining season in September. In an affidavit filed before the Bombay High Court at Goa, the Directorate of Mines and Geology has said that the work of drafting new Goa Minerals Rules 2012 to repeal and replace the 2004 Rules is almost complete and the same will be finalized at the departmental level within a period of three-weeks.

PANJIM: Forty-eight mining firms will attend hearing before Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) on Tuesday, for extracting ore beyond their sanctioned capacity.

The validity of the Environment Clearances (EC) issued by Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) would also be verified during the hearing. 'Times New Senior GSPCB official said that the board is not satisfied with the replies given by the companies, which were asked to submit documents pertaining to production and EC.

PANJIM: The Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) will hold a hearing on June 26, to assess the defence of 48 mining firms, which have allegedly produced excess ore, in violation of the permission granted to them by Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF). The validity of the Environmental Clearances (EC) issued by MoEF would also be verified during the hearing.

A senior GSPCB official said that the board is not satisfied with the replies given by the companies, which were asked to submit documents pertaining to production and EC as per High Court directives.

PANJIM: It’s more than a month that the E-waste Management and Handling Rules, 2012 - notified by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests and the Central Pollution Control (CPCB), Govt of India, has come into force, but till date barely 1% of e-waste manufacturers and users have woken up to the reality of the new regulations.

The e-waste handling rules, which came into effect from May 1, 2012, through a gazette notification on May 12, 2011 - has come fixing the responsibility on all stakeholders including mainly manufacturers, retailers and consumers.

PANJIM: Mines and Geology department will be holding a special inspection of State’s oldest mining company, Damodar Mangalji and Company Limited (DMC) on Monday before suspending its lease, as directed by Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM).

IBM, in an order issued on April 18, has directed the company to suspend the mining operations of its Band Doncol iron ore mine in Pissurlem, for violations of provisions of Mineral Conservation and Development Rules (MCDR), 1988.

BICHOLIM: Accusing a mining company of violating the North Goa District Magistrate's order, environmentalist Ramesh Gawas on Tuesday demanded that the company demolish a compound wall on the road.

It may be recalled that the district magistrate had banned public transport along the old road between Bicholim to Sarmanas passing through mining zone at Dhabdhaba-Bicholim. The notification dated October 25, 2011, was issued under Section 115 of Motor Vehicles Act 1988.