India lifts Goa iron ore mining ban
Tuesday, 22 April 2014
India's Supreme Court has lifted a ban on iron ore mining in the western state of Goa, but limited extraction to 20m tonnes a year. The miners will also need to renew their leases with the Goa government. All 90 iron ore mines in Goa were shut down after a government-backed inquiry in 2012 alleged they were illegal and lacked environmental permission to operate. It had claimed the state lost nearly $6bn due to illegal mining. The ban in Goa followed a similar move in the southern state of Karnataka in 2011, according to BBC.