Legality of bauxite mining comes under scanner in Goa, India

The legality of bauxite mining at Nakeri-Betul has now come under the scanner of the south Goa district administration following clashes between groups of truckers engaged in the transportation of bauxite ore from the mine to the Mormugao port trust (MPT) over some transportation issues.

South Goa collector N D Agrawal has now instructed the mine owner Mayur Gosalia to stop mining of bauxite at Betul and its transportation until further instructions. Agrawal, on Thursday wrote to the director of mines and geology of the state government seeking clarification whether bauxite mining and its transportation have been exempted from or provided any relaxation in the ban on mining in Goa.

Confirming this, Agrawal told TOI that until a clarification over the issue is received from the department of mines and geology, mining activities at the Betul mine will remain suspended. No written communique has been issued by the collector in that regard.

Agrawal's move follows a site inspection of the bauxite mine conducted by Quepem mamlatdar Manoj Korgaonkar earlier this month. In his inspection report submitted to the district collector, Korgaonkar has pointed out that the mining firm failed to produce before him the required documents mandated for transportation of ore.

Mayur Gosalia, of the Gosalia group that owns the bauxite mine, is of the view that there is no illegality whatsoever about his mine. "The Supreme Court has banned mining of iron and manganese in Goa, and bauxite mining is clearly outside the purview of the ban. I tried to explain this to the collector today and will also try to provide all the explanations and the relevant documents he has sought in that regard on Friday, again," Gosalia told TOI when contacted. The issue of bauxite mining came to the fore earlier this week after truck owners from Margao and other parts of Salcete stopped all trucks loaded with bauxite at Gogol. tnn