Goa industry mulls conveyor belts to transport ore

PANAJI - Mining industries in Goa are mulling the possibility of setting up a network of conveyor belts to transport ore from the mining pits to the port from where it is exported, an industry insider said Wednesday.

Secretary of the Goa Mineral Ore Exporters Association (GMOEA) Glen Kalavampara said a string of conveyor belts may be the answer to increasing pollution and accidents, which occur as a result of transporting ore by trucks from extraction sites in the hinterland to shipping points along the coast.

“Although a bit expensive, the industry may look at conveyor belts to transport ore in the future,” Kalavampara said in a presentation to senior officials of the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF).

“Conveyor belts, especially in congested areas will cut down pollution and ease the traffic scenario,” the GMOEA secretary said.

The GMOEA, which has a representation of nearly all the mining industries on its board, is the spokesperson for the industry on matters related to the Rs.6,000 crore mining industry in Goa, which includes big names such as the Vedanta Resources-owned Sesa Goa Ltd.

An increasing number of fatal vehicular accidents involving mining trucks had led to an impasse in various mining towns spread across Goa’s hinterland.

In March this year, after a local was crushed under the wheels of a mining truck, protesting residents of mining towns of Quepem and Curchorem had barred movement of mining ore-laden trucks, which had in turn forced the state administration to intervene and forge an amicable situation.

Nearly 40 million tonnes of iron ore is exported out of Goa annually.