Mandovi in the Spotlight: NGT Throws a Spanner in Goa’s Sand Mining Plans

The Goa state government has been issued a notice by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) after a massive environmental clearance (EC) for sand mining along the Mandovi River was challenged by activists, raising fresh questions about the state's compliance with coastal protection law.

 

Key Highlights

Petition from environmental organization: The Goa River Sand Protection Network (GRSPN) had petitioned against the EC dated February 3, 2025, of the Goa State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (Goa-SEIAA) to the Directorate of Mines and Geology (DMG) for sand mining in Zone 5 of the Mandovi, off Khandola in Ponda taluka.

 

Critically Vulnerable Area: The area in contention falls in a Critically Vulnerable Coastal Area (CVCA), a CRZ-IVB as per the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification, 2011, where sand mining is not allowed.

 

Alleged Violation of CRZ Norms: GRSPN alleges that the Goa-SEIAA granted the clearance without obtaining the mandatory recommendation of the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) in violation of CRZ norms.

 

NGT Response: The NGT Western Zone Bench, consisting of Justice Dinesh Kumar Singh and Expert Member Dr. Vijai Kulkarni, issued the notice on June 16, 2025, and set the hearing date on July 14, 2025. Delay condonation applications were also issued, returnable within two weeks.

 

State's Next Step: The government of Goa sent a letter to the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) seeking that the CRZ Notifications of 2011 and 2019 be modified to permit controlled sand mining in certain situations.

 

Background of Sand Mining in Goa: New regulations introduced in January 2025 for sand mining in Goa's principal rivers like the Mandovi include manual digging and have strict environmental controls, an indication of heightened caution and regulatory vigil following ongoing legal and environmental battles.

 

What's Next?

With the intervention of the NGT, sand mining in the future of the Mandovi River is in question as legal, environmental, and policy arguments gain strength. The July 14 hearing will be watched with bated breath by environmentalists, river dwellers, and the construction sector too. 

 

Source: Herald Goa