Since 2001, over 50% of forest land clearance was for mining

PANJIM, April 20 -- More than 50 per cent of the total forest land converted in the last 15 years was for mining purposes, reveals State government data. In all, 35 mining projects got clearances for converting 1,019.34 hectares (ha) of forest land since 2001.

As per information available on the CAMPA portal of the Goa government, a whopping 1,931.936ha of forest land was converted in the State between 2001-2017, with 50 projects getting clearances from the Union Ministry for Environment and Forest (MoEF).

Forest clearances are granted for projects like mining, defence, drinking water facility, irrigation, railway tracks, construction of roads and bridges, putting up transmission lines, etc. Amongst all, mining, which basically means iron...