Bombay HC restrains Sesa Goa from mining in and around Advalpal village

18 Sep 2009

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The Bombay high court has issued an order restraining Sesa Goa from carrying out mining operations in and around Advalpal village in a bid to give some respite to villagers suffering from the effects of environment degradation.

A division bench comprising Justice S B Deshmukh and Justice U D Salvi on Thursday passed the interim order on a petition filed by nine-year-old Akash Naik through his mother Sharmila Naik together with NGO Goa Foundation.

The HC, in its interim order, has restrained Sesa Goa from going ahead with its phase 1 and phase 2 operations at Advalpal village in Assonora.

The high court also directed the mining major to submit a detailed proposal for removing the illegal mining dumps along the Advalpal nullah latest by the next date of hearing.

The court is expected to hear the matter again on 8 October.

In his petition, Akash Naik and others had highlighted the plight of the residents of a village without water or paddy fields. The mining companies have destroyed all the paddy fields, mullahs and water bodies, filling them with the sediment from their mining activities.