Goemkarponn desk
PANAJI: Environment Minister Aleixo Sequeira proposed allowing organizations who place winning bids to dredge river mouths to keep and sell the sand that is removed, contingent on taxes and government payments.
“This will assist us in clearing river mouths and provide sand to individuals, thereby resolving the sand availability issue to some degree,” he stated in response to a request from the environment department in the state legislature.
According to Sequeira, the BITS Pilani Institute and the Goa College of Engineering have received samples of the sand that will be dredged.
“We’ve heard good news from the Goa College of Engineering. He stated that the administration is anticipating the BITS Pilani report.
Regarding sand mining, he added that in a study that was turned in to the government, the National Institute of Oceanography had designated areas for sand extraction by hand.
He added that the tender for dredging the mouth of the Chapora River will be floated in 15 days. “Now, district collectors will prepare the survey report of identified zones for sand mining and after that permits for sand mining will be issued,” he said.
