The government of the western Indian state of Goa has approved a policy for the handling of an estimated 700 million mt of idle low grade iron lying outside and within leased mining areas, a government official said on Monday, September 11.
The official said that the approval of the policy of handling idle iron ore dumps will pave the way for exports of low grade iron ore to the extent of 25 million mt per year.
The policy will, however, exclude iron ore dumps which have been successfully auctioned since they were unstable, lying next to water bodies or ecologically sensitive areas.
Iron ore mining in Goa had been suspended in 2018 following a verdict of India’s Supreme Court which held that renewal of mining leases without the auction process by the government was illegal and which thus directed the halting of all mining operations in Goa.