Mining activity in Goa should now begin on a clean slate(an absence of existing restraints or commitments)
The Supreme Court order to halt(stop/clog) the murky(disorder/mess-गड़बड़) course that mining has taken in Goa should help restore(reinstate/bring back-बहाल) some balance to the exploitation (suction / absorption-शोषण) of iron and manganese ore in the ecologically fragile(delicate/breakable-नाज़ुक) State. As the court observed this week in the Goa Foundation case, commercial mining activity can be rapacious (greedy / avaricious-लालची) in the absence of clearly laid down and strictly enforced(impose/implement-लागू करना) conditions. This is exactly what has happened in Goa, with the State government displaying shocking disregard for rules and processes while renewing licences for a second time in 2015. It inexplicably(inexpressible/unaccountable-अकथनीय) chose not to exercise its right to view the licences as fresh leases(tendon/rent-पट्टा) that require new environmental impact assessments. The Bharatiya Janata Party government in Goa invited a cloud of suspicion (doubt/hesitancy-संदेह) by hastily(hurry/quickly-जल्दी से) launching the renewal(renovate) of licences just a day after it unveiled(open/unzip-खोलना) a Grant of Mining Leases Policy on November 4, 2014. Quite extraordinarily(unusual/remarkable-असाधारण), it issued 31 orders on a single day, January 12, 2015, apparently to pre-empt(arrogate/occupy-जगह ले लेना) the Centre’s Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Ordinance that came into force the same day. Now that the Supreme Court has ordered the termination(finish/abolish) of 88 licences, grant of fresh licences and proper accounting of the losses, mining activity in its entirety should begin on a clean slate. Future decisions should be guided solely(completely) by the true cost to the environment and to human health.
Goa has argued(assert/infer-तर्क करना) that the mining industry is crucial(vital/important-महत्वपूर्ण) to its economy as it brings in foreign exchange, provides employment and supports a transport industry. Yet, it is also true that the ore mined in the State is low in iron, reducing its value to the domestic steel industry. Given that mining has a severe destructive impact on the ecology, resumption (restart/renewal-पुनरारंभ) of large-scale activity should await a scientific audit of how sustainable (durable / lasting-टिकाऊ) it is. Any more mining should also account for the loss of employment while calculating economic gains. Just last year, public protests(opposition/resist-विरोध) over contaminated(pollute/adulterate-दूषित) groundwater and fouled(infect/poison) air, as in Sattari taluk, underscored the need for strict environmental controls.
It is relevant(reasonable/proper-उचित) to point out that the Union Environment Ministry’s Expert Appraisal Committee found in 2013 that many of the past leases had been issued(provide/supply) without the approval of the National Board for Wildlife, and miners had extracted(take out/draw out-निकाले) ore in excess. The requirement for clearance from the Central Ground Water Board was ignored (pay no heed/disregard-नज़रअंदाज़ करना). Going forward, the Environment Ministry must display zero tolerance(acceptance-सहनशीलता) to such violations (outrage/infringement-उल्लंघन), reversing its indefensible(unpardonable) decision of 2015 to lift its own abeyance(suspension/adjournment-स्थगन) order issued against unsustainable mining. The Supreme Court’s directions provide Goa with an opportunity: to change course(path/way) and become a mainstream tourist State. It can regain(retrieve/recover-हासिल) its position as a top destination for global visitors and broaden employment in services. Tourist charters need to replace its open cast mines and dust bowls.
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