A Supreme Court appointed committee has suggested that iron ore mining in Goa can be capped at 20 million tonnes per annum along with monitoring on the ecological and environmental parameters. The six-member expert panel in its interim report to the apex court has said in view of the extent of environmental and ecological damage caused by rampant mining, the Goa government should consider setting up a mining corporation and create a permanent fund to ensure inter-generational equity. Goa, which produces iron ore fines, had exported around 42 million tonnes in 2011, accounting for 55 per cent of the total exports of metal from the country.
