The government of the western Indian state of Goa will apply to the Indian Supreme Court to seek permission to mine an additional 8 million mt of iron ore before mining operations close down for the monsoon rains starting in June, a government official said on Thursday, April 13.
The Goa government official said that, while an expert committee of the court has already recommended an increase in the annual iron ore mining cap from 20 million mt to 30 million mt, the Goa government will seek that the court permit mining of at least 8 million mt as an interim measure so that miners can maximize production before the monsoon rains halt operations.
The official said an interim permission to mine an additional 8 million mt over and above the existing annual cap of 20 million mt will also help the mining industry to maintain the current rising production and offset the loss of production during the monsoon season.
Subject to approval of the Supreme Court, the Goa government will allocate each miner a specific production quota from the 8 million mt incremental production cap, the official added.