Ore transport year round for domesticmkt, but exports still banned in rains

Panaji: State govt has allowed iron ore transportation during the monsoon for domestic consumption within the country, which was earlier only allowed within the state. Also, unlike the earlier fixed-date, three month ban on transportation for exports, govt has decided that it will declare the dates from time to time.State govt amended the Goa mineral policy, 2013, to this effect as many new leaseholders have steel plants outside the state, and they may want to transport iron to plants in other states during the monsoon. State govt will now decide the date to ban iron ore transportation during the monsoon for export.As per govt’s newly-amended policy, “No transportation of either lumps or fines on the public road for the period June 7 June till Sep 2 except for utilisation as captive/domestic consumption within the state.”Director of mines and geology Narayan Gad said the new amendment states that “No transportation of ore on public roads during the monsoon for such period with such conditions as may be decided by govt from time to time, except for utilisation as captive/domestic consumption”.“The above restriction is also applicable to out-of-state ore transported on public roads within the state.,” stated the policy. “The above restriction is also applicable to out-of-state ore transported on public roads within the state except for captive/domestic consumption/end user in the other state.”

Mining activities came to a halt in Sep 2012 following the tabling of the Shah Commission report in Parliament. Mining activities resumed in 2015 but were halted in March 2018 for the second time after the Supreme Court quashed the second renewal of 88 mining leases. Goa’s mining industry kick-started operations on April 4, 2024, after a six-year shutdown, with Vedanta Sesa Goa beginning fresh extraction of ore at the Bicholim mineral block—block I.State govt decided to develop a mechanism to allocate maximum production limits for the auctioned mineral blocks, as the Supreme Court set a limit of 20 million tonnes for export from the state. The handling of low-grade iron ore is set to start in the state as the DMG granted final approval to Chowgule and Company Pvt Ltd to handle 3,00,000 tonnes of low-grade iron ore lying outside the mining leases at Shirgao at a premium of 22%.