Bhubaneswar, April 24: Mine owners will henceforth have to obtain the required environmental clearance to undertake mining activities for minor minerals in Odisha.

“No mining activities for minor minerals will be allowed without the requisite environmental clearance. The clearance is mandatory,” said a senior official of the steel and mines department.

On February 27, the Supreme Court had made it clear that environmental clearance was mandatory for all mining sites. The court had also directed that minor mineral mines should also undergo the environmental impact assessment process under the Environment Protection Act.

The apex court had also directed that the mining of minor minerals such as sand, gravel, clay, marble and other stones would only be allowed in the country with the approval of the Union government. However, all such mining leases by the state governments and Union territories would need environmental clearance from the environment and forests ministry.

The government has constituted an inter-departmental committee to tighten the noose on illegal mining of minor minerals. “The committee has been constituted in compliance with the order of the apex court for environmental clearance for extraction of minor minerals,” said an official.

The director of mines is heading the committee, which also includes member secretary of the Odisha Pollution Control Board, regional controller of mines, director of environment, director-general mining safety, collectors of Balasore and Khurda, additional secretary of water resources department and revenue and disaster management.

An official of the Odisha steel and mines department said: “The committee will furnish their report to the steel and mines department soon.”

At present, only mining of major minerals undergo environment impact assessment and environment clearance procedure under the Environment Protection Act. Till now, mining activities for minor minerals was taking place without a license.

The contractors went for extensive sand mining without regard for the riverbed.

Despite public agitation, sand is mined extensively throughout Odisha, especially in the coastal belt. Besides this, the minor minerals such as limenite, garnet, sillimanite, rutile, zircon, monazite, magnetite and pyriboles are found in coastal belt.