HC orders immediate suspension of iron-ore transportation

Goa Bench of the Bombay High Court has directed the State government to order immediate suspension of transport of all minerals related to the mining activity of 88 leaseholders. The directions are an interim order, pending hearing and final disposal of a petition filed by NGO Goa Foundation.

In the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) it is stated that iron ore is being transported despite the Supreme Court order directing that all activities related to mining carried out by the 88 mining leaseholders must stop from March 15. The apex court scrapped the renewed leases on February 7 based on an earlier PIL by the Goa Foundation.

The fresh PIL has alleged that the State Department of Mines and Geology, in collusion with some of the erstwhile leaseholders, enabled them to extract vast quantities of ore illegally between February 7 and March 15. It allowed them to dump this material outside the lease areas, despite Supreme Court directives prohibiting this.