PANJIM: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) will hear on November1, Friday the plea of Goa government for seeking exemption from the nationwide ban on sand mining.

The State government in its affidavit filed before the NGT earlier last month has requested the court to exempt Goa from the ban on sand extraction, as an effective regulatory mechanism for sand removal has been put in place. An NGT order dated August 14, 2013, had banned sand extraction across the country.

The Pune bench of the National Green Tribunal has ordered a stay on blasting on the Mithi riverbed till an environment impact assessment (EIA) report is prepared.

The report, the bench said, is necessary in order to locate whether blasting on the riverbed is likely to cause adverse impact on Mithi and its ecology. “We are of the opinion that activities of blasting should be appropriately evaluated by the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA).

The Green Tribunal, Pune, has asked government officials concerned to be present for the hearing of a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by the Flyash Manufacturers' Association for complying w