Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: The Goa government has clarified that no permits for sand extraction have been granted in the State, even as 99 cases related to illegal sand mining were registered between 2023 and 2025, Chief Minister and Minister for Mines & Geology Pramod Sawant informed the Legislative Assembly
Chief Minister said the Directorate of Mines and Geology has identified sand mining sites, but extraction permissions are yet to be issued.
He informed the House that the department has received Environmental Clearance for 12 zones for issuing sand extraction permits in the Mandovi and Zuari rivers. However, the Directorate has also applied for Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearance from the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) on February 21, 2025, which is still awaited
Despite receiving a total of 185 online applications for sand extraction in the Mandovi and Zuari rivers, the government stated that no contractor or supplier has been granted permission to extract sand so far.
On enforcement, the Chief Minister said that several cases have been registered in connection with illegal sand mining activities across the State. As per information provided by the office of the Director General of Police (DGP), 50 cases were registered in 2023, 17 in 2024 and 32 cases in 2025
While confirming that persons have been booked in these cases, the government said details of the accused cannot be disclosed, as the matters are under trial or investigation, in line with the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business of the Goa Legislative Assembly.
