The Federation of Indian Mineral Industries (Fimi) has suggested to the Government to take up feasibility study of underground mining in Karnataka's Western Ghats. In addition to 2.16 billion tonnes of haematite ore deposits in Karnataka, there is magnetite ore to the tune of 7.8 billion tonnes. “Fimi is ready to support feasibility study between northern boundary of Bababudan Giri hills in Kudremukh up to Goa,” Mr Basant Poddar, Chairman, Fimi-South. “Underground mining is successfully working beneath Johannesburg in South Africa and Stockholm in Sweden.

New Delhi: Goa and Kerala seem to be the best places in which to be born, while Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Orissa are the worst. According to the latest Union health ministry data, Goa recorded the lowest infant mortality rate — 10 infant deaths per 1,000 live births, followed by Kerala at 13. MP recorded the highest IMR at 62, followed by UP (61) and Orissa (61).

PANJIM: The campaign to save Goa from incessant mining has now got a global linkage with almost 40 Goan overseas associations joining hands against mining activity at the cost of environment.

The associations representing the Goan Diaspora in Australia, Canada, UK, Middle East, East Africa and Portugal have come under one umbrella called Save Goa Campaign UK, which on Friday submitted a petition to Goa Governor K Sankaranarayanan’s office and to Chief Minister Digamber Kamat.

Goa's mining industry is facing a “crisis of reputation” following a series of writ petitions, a leaked PAC report and an inquiry by a commission.

Manohar Parrikar: "There is nothing imaginary reported."

THE leaked report of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the Goa Assembly has sought an inquiry into the various aspects of illegal mining in the State. Excerpts from an interview with its Chairman and Goa's Leader of the Opposition, Manohar Parrikar:

The PAC report was not allowed to be tabled. What is your reaction to this?

The Mineral Foundation of Goa (MFG) in coordination with Sanquelim Municipal Council (SMC) has initiated the ‘Nirmal Gram’ project on solid waste management at the community level in Virdi.

As part of the project, awareness programme was organized in Virdi during the traditional Kalotsav (Jatra) of Shri Mahadev Devasthan on Saturday.
The event was used as a platform to reach out to the entire village and beyond.

The Mines Ministry has expressed reservation over Finance Ministry's decision to increase export duty on the low grade iron ore in the country, a senior official said today.

"The Mines Ministry is not favourably inclined towards increase in the export duty," AK Srivastava, additional secretary, Ministry of Mines, told reporters on the sidelines a conference here.

PANJIM: One of the State’s oldest mining company, Damodar Mangalji and Company Limited (DMC), is likely to come under the scanner of the Mines department, again, for its move to revive operations at a mine at Pissurlem, almost after a decade.

In a complaint before state authorities, a local from Amona Khemlo Sawant has said that the ripper is still working at the mine named as ‘Band Doncol’ bearing TC number 2/Fe/71.

PANJIM:Goa Foundation (GF) has claimed, that even as Shah Commission officials were enquiring into the illegal mining, almost half of state’s ore that left the shores during last financial year was illegally extracted.

GF, which has filed series of petitions before High Court on illegal mining has stated that almost 43 percent of the ore exported from Goa during the financial year 2010-11was illegally extracted violating environmental norms.