Goa, June 23 -- The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued a notice to the Goa government following a petition challenging the environmental clearance (EC) granted for sand mining in the Mandovi River.

The Western Zone Bench of the NGT, comprising Justice Dinesh Kumar Singh and Expert Member Dr Vijai Kulkarni, issued the notice on June 16 and scheduled the next hearing for July 14.

The petition, filed by the Goa River Sand Protection Network (GRSPN), challenges the EC granted by the Goa State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (Goa-SEIAA) on February 3, 2025, to the Directorate of Mines and Geology (DMG) for sand mining in Zone 5 of the Mandovi, near Khandola in Pondataluka. The EC covers a stretch of 4.3 hectares, with an annual...