Iron ore exports drop
PTI, PANAJI | 20 October 2011 18:12 IST
The uncertainty looming over the Iron Ore mining industry in Goa affected the exports even before the mining season formally kicked off in mid-September.
According to industry players, the exports went down by almost 50 per cent durings monsoons in the state, as compared to the previous year.
Fears are being raised that the state government's order asking the companies not to re-handle the dumps will further plummet the exports.
"The worries about decreasing export was discussed recently in the meeting of stakeholders called by Mormugao Port Trust (MPT)," highly placed sources said.
MPT is the biggest exporting facility of Iron Ore in India. Although the mining season began in mid-September, the activity is yet to gain the momentum.
The official figures available from both the ports indicate that one lakh tonnes of Ore was exported in July last year. This time, the same season had only 923 tons of Ore being sent through both the ports-- MPT and Panaji minor port.
The exports declined further substantially in August, this year, as only 237 tonnes of Ore was exported as against last year''s corresponding figure of 463 tonnes.
Also, the Goa Pollution Control Board has asked around 40 mines to suspend their operations in the absence of consent under Air and Water Pollution (Control) Act.
"If there are closure of mines then the exports will continue to be at a similar pace," a senior industry source said adding that overall it is difficult to touch the 30 million tonne mark this year as against 54 million tons last financial Year.
The figures stated that the Ore export was down right from the beginning of financial year 2011-12, when Karnataka mining crisis began haunting the industry in the state.
The exports for April 2011 were 4,767 tons as against 5,566 tons during the corresponding period last year.
