CM accused of suppressing EIA report of 75 mines (Herald)

Prof Madhav Gadgil castigates the Goa government for providing “no information” or “lack of information” on the extract of environmental destruction and loss which has taken place in the mining rich areas

30 Oct, 2014, 12:29AM IST

 TEAM HERALD

PANJIM: Prof Madhav Gadgil, who headed the Western Ghats Ecological Expert Panel (WGEEP), has accused Manohar Parrikar-led government of suppressing the report on assessing quality of environmental impact assessment (EIA) of 75 mines, which had exposed that the environmental parameters have not been considered at all while granting mining leases.

The environmentalist also castigated the Goa government for providing “no information” or “lack of information” on the extract of environment destruction and loss which has taken place in the mining rich areas due to over mining during the past decades. 

Gadgil, who is D D Kosambi Visiting Research Professor of Goa University (GU), was speaking during a symposium on “Prudent Mining” and how mining should be dealt with in a prudent way, organized by GU on Wednesday. The symposium was attended by mine owners, environmentalists, exporters, truck owners and other mining dependent people. 

The report on research project on assessing quality of EIA, compliance of environmental clearance (EC) conditions and adequacy of environmental management plan (EMP) of mining industry in Goa was submitted to BJP government in October 2013. The then Congress government had commissioned the Centre for Environment Education (CEE), to undertake a two-year research project, commencing April 2011.

“What Goa government has done with the report is, suppressed it, just like the Union Ministry who suppressed our report on Western Ghats,” Gadgil, under whose guidance the report was drafted said, adding that ‘being a scientific report it was the duty of government to make it public, so that mining companies know what needs to be rectified’. 

Gadgil said that the report is lying with the government since October 2013 but they are not making it public. The ecologist said that of a total of 105 operational mines (before Supreme Court order), they managed to get EIA report of 75 mines, the proper assessment of which proved that most of the EIAs are based on false information, especially on natural resources.

Citing an example, Gadgil said that there are several water springs and water bodies which do not figure in the EIA report. “Also the tribal community, which is by and large dominant in the mining areas, is not been highlighted in EIA,” he lamented. 

Gadgil said that when government is now planning to resume mining activity by renewing mining leases, it is mandatory to ensure that the past mistakes are not repeated. A proper assessment has to 

be carried out before granting environmental clearances, 

he said. 

http://www.heraldgoa.in/Goa/CM-accused-of-suppressing-EIA-report-of-75-mines-/80350.html