State may decrease impact zone by 5km in mining areas

Panaji: State government may reduce by 5km the area considered as directly affected by mining operations from the boundary of mining leases. The district mineral foundation (DMF) has proposed to the governing council that the distance from mine lease boundaries should be reduced from the current 15km to 10km.

The decision will allow DMF to spend 70% of its funds in areas directly affected by mining activities and the remaining 30% in areas indirectly affected by mining.

As per revised guidelines, the area directly affected is up to 15km from the boundary of a mine lease, and the area considered indirectly affected is up to 25km from the boundary of a mining lease. DMF’s managing committee said that there was a need to reduce the area directly affected since Goa is a small state.

“The managing committee resolved to consider that an area up to 10km from the boundary of a mining lease would be considered as a directly affected area, and the indirectly affected area is up to 25km from the boundary of a mine lease. The same may be placed before the governing council,” Abhir Hede, deputy director of mines, said.

Once the governing council accepts the recommendation, the proposal would be sent to state govt for a final approval.

State govt had set up the district mineral foundation trusts for each district to utilise the district mineral fund (DMF) and the trusts started taking up projects in 2015. Funds were collected from mining operations in the state with the objective of benefiting the people and areas affected by mining-related operations.

The directorate of mines and geology (DMG), through agencies, has also initiated a dump profile study to assess the quantity and quality of low-grade iron ore dumps in the state. Several companies have expressed interest in handling these dumps, and DMG plans to grant more permissions based on the study's findings.

The DMF, established in 2015, is funded by a levy on mining operations and is aligned with the Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana (PMKKKY). The fund is used to finance development projects and welfare programs in mining-affected areas.




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