Iron ore waste dumps in Goa, India
November 9th 2011 19:44
Link: www.businessfork.com
Average grade of iron ore mined in Goa is 55 percent and waste dumps of Iron Ore in Goa are mainly consists of average grade of 45 percent iron content. These dumps are collected when mining of iron ore is done. The top layers of the mines which consist of laterite, clay, mud and other impurities along with around 45 percent iron content. This layer has to be removed before excavating the iron ore from mines.
Since this ore which has low iron content of 45 percent doesn’t has any commercial value in the past and the miners started stock piling this ore on their leased area or on the surrounding areas taken on rent. Over the years these dumps were converted into huge mountains. These dumps contain both fines and boulders of iron ore of 45 percent and even in some cases as low as 40 percent.
With rise in international prices of iron ore and high demand of low grade iron ore mainly from China, the commercial value of these dumps increased and the race for exports of these dumps started.
This movement of iron ore dumps, processing it and exporting created the confusion between legally and illegal mining and later exporting. The main reason for this is mismatch between the quantity of ore mined and royalty paid, and quantity royalty paid and exported.
The quantity of ore exported from the process of waste dumps after paying royalty to the government was calculated in the miners mining account which showed that the miners has exceeded the permitted limit of mining provided to them.
The other mismatch was seen when the records for exports checked. The quantity exported was recorded more than the quantity permitted to mine in Goa. The waste dump exports also was counted in the mining account and considered as irregularities made by miners and notified as over mining.
There are surely few mines which were running illegal in Goa and already IBM has taken action against them.
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