Policemen among gathering to complain against land grabbing

PANJIM: Directorate of Mines and Geology on Tuesday conducted inspection of a Sesa Goa mining site at Sanquelim after environmentalist Ramesh Gawas complained to them about handling of dumps at this mine.

Director of Mines and Geology Prasanna Acharya said the inspection revealed that the dumps have not been moved out of the mining lease but instead were shifted within the lease area, which is allowed and that there is no illegality found during the inspection.

New Delhi: The Central government on Tuesday said mining activities have contaminated drinking water sources in Jaintia Hills of Meghalaya.

“The Megh-alaya government has reported that sources of some drinking water supply schemes have had to be shifted due to contamination caused by mining and some major rivers in the area have been found to be unfit for human use,” Rural Development Minister and Minister for Drinking Water and Sanitation Jairam Ramesh said in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha.

While encouraging the development of the mining industry in the Greater Khingan Range, the country's largest virgin forest, local authorities are promising that they will do their best to minimize

PANJIM: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report on mining, which was not accepted by former Speaker Pratapsing Rane of the previous Goa Assembly, has been quoted in the new draft State Mining Policy 2012, which states that the delay in the policy has resulted in haphazard mining, resulting in a scam of Rs 3,500 crore.

The draft policy, tabled before the State legislative Assembly on Wednesday, has provision for proposed handling of dumps upto 25 mmt annually.

PANJIM: Environmentalists have termed the State Government’s decision to allow handling of dumps of 25 MMT, annually, in the draft mining policy as ‘a sin bigger than that of Digambar Kamat government.’

Environmentalists see red in the decision to allow handling of the dumps, which they say, could result in extensive illegal mining in the State. “The decision to allow handling of dumps is like allowing illegal mining in a legal format,” said Ramesh Gawas, who has been fighting battles against several illegalities in the mining sector, for last many years.

Antamina, one of the world's biggest copper-zinc mines, is facing community opposition and government inquiries after its pipeline burst nearly two weeks ago exposing more than 200 people to a mine

The Philippines has indefinitely suspended the operations of the country's largest gold mine after a waste spillage near a major river, officials said on Monday.

PANJIM: If one can presume a combination of arrogance and patronage enjoyed by mine owners in their operations, the almost 139 mining rejects dumps lying on forest land, majority of which belong to large mining firms, are a glaring indication.

In a written reply on the floor of the House, Forest Minister Alina Saldanha said that total 139 mining dumps are on forest land, of which 95 are in South Goa and 44 in the North. A total of 37 dumps are on government land.