HC restrains Sesa Goa from mining

A division bench of the Bombay High Court in Goa comprising of Justice SB Deshmukh and Justice UD Salvi passed a brief order on Thursday, restraining Sesa Goa from mining in a part of the company's iron ore mine at Advalpal village, North Goa. The court found that the firm had been mining in violation of its mining plan. The matter has been posted for another hearing on October 8.

The public interest petition was filed by Akash Naik, a 9 year-old from the village through his mother Sharmila Naik together with the environment group Goa Foundation.

The petitioners allege that Sesa Goa was indulging in unsafe mining in violation of its approved mining plan. On the night of June 6, the mine's dumps collapsed in pouring rain and tonnes of mining silt and sediment overflowed into the village nullah, destroying the concrete embankment and flooding people's homes and paddy fields.