Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: In a fresh boost to the iron ore sector, the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) has approved the setting up of mining operations at three additional sites—Cudnem Mineral Blocks VI and VII, and the Tivim-Pirna Mineral Block VIII.
The approvals were granted under the provisions of the Air and Water Pollution Acts during the Board’s recent meeting.
In addition to the establishment clearances, the Board has also issued operational clearance for the Shirgao mineral block, managed by M/s Rajaram Bandekar Mines Pvt Ltd, clearing the way for full-scale mining at the site.
The newly approved Cudnem Block VII, auctioned to Vedanta Ltd, spans over 75 hectares and holds an estimated 8.3 million tonnes of hematite reserves.
Vedanta secured the block with a winning bid of 93.15%. JSW Steel Limited, which won Cudnem Block VI, has already secured the necessary environmental clearance for producing 0.05 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) via open-cast mining.
Meanwhile, Odisha-based KAI International, which holds rights to the Tivim-Pirna Block VIII in Bardez taluka, plans to extract 0.33 MTPA from the 72-hectare lease area. All three blocks had earlier received environmental clearance from the Goa State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA).
These developments come as part of the broader revival of mining in Goa. Vedanta had restarted iron ore extraction from the Bicholim block in April last year, marking the first new activity since leases were re-auctioned. This May, Salgaocar Shipping Pvt Ltd also resumed mining at the Shirgao-Mayem block, signaling growing momentum in the sector.
Sorry, there was a YouTube error.
