Decision on granting the Consent to Operate will be taken during the GSPCB meet scheduled on July 10 PANJIM: Mining companies, representing 61 iron ore mining leases, have made detailed presentations to Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) explaining how they intend to take care of air and water pollution at their respective mines once mining activities commence. The presentation made to GSPCB’s technical advisory committee (TAC) follows inspection of all 61 mining leases that have applied for Consent to Operate under the Air and Water Acts. The decision on grating the Consent to Operate will be taken during the board meeting scheduled on July 10. GSPCB Chairman Jose Manuel Noronha said the board has completed inspection of 61 mining leases, which are actually 34 mines. He said the mining companies made presentations on various measures they intend to initiate to ensure that mining activities don’t lead to air and water pollution in the surrounding areas. The presentation also included the various modes of iron ore transportation ensuring least air pollution. Stating that the technical advisory committee of the board is scrutinizing mining inspection reports, Noronha said the technical advisory commitee will now place the report before the board for a decision on grant of consent. Out of 89 mining leases renewed by the government, only 61 have been allowed to extract iron ore on a pro-rata basis, to fit into the 20 million tonnes cap on iron ore extraction fixed by the Supreme Court.