Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: The Goa State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) has introduced a key environmental safeguard by making it compulsory for project proponents to submit a comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) before undertaking the handling of inventorised legacy iron ore dumps situated within five kilometres of Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZs), Eco-Sensitive Areas (ESAs) and notified forest regions.
The decision was taken after the Directorate of Mines and Geology (DMG) informed the Authority that it has been receiving proposals related to the handling of legacy iron ore dumps under the Policy for Regulating Iron Ore Dumps in the State of Goa, 2023.
SEIAA noted that the DMG is currently auctioning 24 inventorised legacy iron ore dumps, several of which are located close to protected ecological and forest areas covered under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 and the Indian Forest Act, 1927. In view of this, the Authority decided that a standardised approach was necessary to ensure all projects are evaluated under the same environmental criteria.
During its review, SEIAA observed that the applicability of the General Condition under the EIA Notification, 2006 cannot be decided solely on the basis of a project’s proximity to eco-sensitive areas. Instead, each proposal must be examined by taking into account the character of the activity, the legal framework governing legacy dumps and relevant judicial directions.
The Authority also recognised that the handling of inventorised legacy iron ore dumps is distinct from fresh mining operations and therefore requires a separate appraisal based on its specific environmental risks and operational scope.
As part of the new framework, SEIAA has decided that although the General Condition under the EIA Notification will not automatically apply simply because a dump lies within five kilometres of an ESZ or ESA, every successful project proponent must prepare and submit a detailed EIA report covering the project site and the surrounding environment within six months for scrutiny by the Authority.
The relaxation, however, is limited to projects involving only the handling of inventorised legacy dumps. It does not extend to proposals involving expansion of existing mining lease areas or fresh extraction of minerals, which will continue to require prior environmental clearance under the EIA Notification, 2006.
SEIAA further clarified that compliance with all other statutory requirements, including forest clearance wherever applicable, will remain mandatory before any work can commence.
The Authority said its decision is consistent with the recommendations of the Supreme Court-appointed Expert Committee, the provisions of Goa’s 2023 Iron Ore Dump Policy, and the Bombay High Court’s May 7, 2026 judgment, which upheld the legality of the State’s policy governing inventorised iron ore dumps.
