The Supreme Court of
India has lifted the
iron ore mining ban in the Indian state of Goa, with an upper limit of 20 million mt per year, according to media reports.
An expert panel is expected to submit a report within six weeks recommending how to cap annual
iron ore extraction.
In September 2012, the government of Goa halted
iron ore mining due to "serious illegalities and irregularities" in
mining operations, with
India's Supreme Court suspending
iron ore transport in Goa a month later. In November 2013, the Supreme Court allowed sale of 11.46 million mt of
iron ore in stockpiles but maintained the ban on
iron ore mining in Goa.