Team Goemkarponn
PILGAO: Pilgao farmers and villagers have petitioned Vedanta Limited, alleging that the mining corporation violated Environmental Clearance (EC) requirements while transporting iron ore. Additionally, the petition has requested for a complete prohibition on ore transportation at night.
Through a miscellaneous civil application in a public interest litigation (PIL) writ suit backed by the Mulakh Khajan Farmers Association and the Goa Foundation, Anil Salelkar, a resident of Bagwada in Pilgao, filed the plea on behalf of the farmers and villages. The hearing is scheduled for Monday, January 13.
The petitioners have requested the court to direct the Directorate of Mines and Geology, along with police authorities, to halt the transportation of ore by the mining company during the night. They argue that the night-time transportation is causing significant noise pollution, disturbing the villagers’ sleep. The villagers of Matwada, Pilgao, have specifically opposed the night-time transport.
Salelkar has also urged the court to restrict Vedanta from using the main road, which passes through the settlement area from the New Beneficiary Plant to Sarmanas Jetty, for ore transportation. The petition calls for the company to adhere to the EC conditions.
According to the EC criteria, the Directorate of Mines and Geology’s Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) must be followed, and only the roads listed in the clearance may be used.
No transportation should pass through villages or other populated areas in accordance with EC regulations. In order to avoid going through populated areas, the mining company was also instructed to build a “bypass” route for the transportation of minerals.
This petition is in response to an order issued by the High Court of Bombay at Goa on December 17, 2024, directing the State government to find a legal solution to the transportation of iron ore in Pilgao, Bicholim, while adhering to the guidelines outlined in the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change’s (MoEF&CC) Environmental Clearance.
