Supreme Court backs Goa policy on disposal of iron ore mining dumps

By Staff Report 1 October 9, 2026 4:17 pm IST

The Supreme Court has allowed former mining leaseholders in Goa to remove and dispose of inventoried iron ore dumps without holding a fresh public auction.

The Supreme Court has upheld the Goa government’s policy for regulating iron ore dump handling, allowing former mining leaseholders to remove and dispose of inventoried mining dumps located outside their lease areas on private or government land without a fresh public auction.

A bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant delivered the ruling on Thursday while refusing to interfere with a Bombay High Court order that upheld Clause 2(2) of the Policy for Regulating Iron Ore Dump Handling in Goa. The bench highlighted environmental protection as a key consideration, warning that obstruction to the removal and placement of mineral dumps could lead to serious environmental consequences.

The Chief Justice said the process of identifying saleable material, determining who would handle it, segregating and evaluating it, inviting tenders, addressing challenges and finalising conditions could leave the material lying in dumps for an extended period. He said moving the material was also in the public interest because of the potential environmental consequences of delays.

Source: The Economic Times