The State Expert Appraisal Committee (SEAC) on Monday completed all formalities and has recommended granting of Environmental Clearances to nearly 300-odd sand extractors for undertaking mining manually. In a special meeting, the SEAC recommended to the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) to grant EC for carrying out sand mining in 39 identified riverbeds in North Goa. Sources said that all the formalities have been completed and that the recommendation has been sent to SEIAA. The decision came after the Union Mines Ministry directed State governments to notify areas for carrying out sand mining along riverbeds, while clearing all applications received for the purpose immediately. The National Green Tribunal in mid-2013 had imposed a nationwide ban on sand mining without environment clearances. The government-approved agency had earlier undertaken a Rapid Environment Impact Assessment and detailed Environment Impact Assessment study of the potential sand mining areas of the State that had been identified by the district collectorates. There are currently over 500 applications for sand mining pending before the government.