NEW DELHI: Almost giving clean chit to the Vedanta-owned firm Sesa Goa, an environment ministry’s panel has said ambiguity over demarcation of the project site in the state has led to “unfounded” and “avoidable apprehensions” among the locals who fear displacement.

The panel constituted by the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) of the Ministry after a site visit at village Pirna and Nadora in Bardez Taluka in North Goa also ruled out allegations that the mining activity will affect the ecology and health in the region.
The panel was formed on the instruction of the National Environment Appellate Authority (NEAA) which had suspended the environment clearance to the site following a petition by a local group ‘Pirna Naroda Nagrik Kruti Samiti’. The petitioner had opposed the environmental clearance granted by the Environment Ministry on June last year alleging that EAC had ignored the adverse impact of the proposed project.
The sub-committee in its report submitted to the EAC said “the mine lease boundaries have not been demarcated unambiguously. The physical location of the mine lease as shown to it was at a variance.
“As a result, it has lead to unfounded and avoidable apprehensions in the minds of the public in terms of extent of displacement involved due to the project, involvement of grazing land, agriculture and horticulture fields.” The report which was discussed at a meeting of the EAC on mining on June 28 also claimed that there was no school in the mine lease area neither any inhabitation reported en-route the transportation corridor up to 4-5 km I.E. Orasso Donger Mine of the proponent (where from the ore is to be transported to Mandovi River loading point).
Contrary to the petitioner’s allegations that the mining activity will affect the water quality of the Amthane dam, the panel said there was no such threat and suggested that its likely impacts on Chapora river could be minimised by taking adequate measures as proposed by the proponent.
On the issue of health impacts on the human population, the panel recommended occupational health surveillance for establishing baseline data of respiratory morbidity and also to identify the groups vulnerable to dust exposure, particularly the children and the elderly people.
Apparently favouring the project, the sub-committee said as the mining activity was yet to be started, “it may be appropriate that the project proponent is given some time to prepare these action plans keeping in view the apprehensions raised by the local inhabitants.”
“As regards, the moratorium on examination and issue of fresh clearances for mining projects in Goa, this project does not get covered by the moratorium, as it was granted environmental clearance prior to the moratorium coming into force,” it added.