Google Earth can detect illegal mining in Goa: Ecologist

PANAJI: The Google Earth application could be effectively used to track down illegal mining activity in Goa, a noted environmentalist said on Wednesday.

"You get to spot all the mines very clearly on Google Earth software. Everybody can see and find out how many of them are illegal," said environmentalist Madhav Gadgil, addressing a convention at Dona Paula here.

Regional Plan 2021, a futuristic document prepared by the State Government, shows legal borders of the mines and "if we compare the Plan with Google images, we can come to know about the illegal mining," he said.

The veteran green activist also questioned the alacrity shown by mine owners in the state to extract iron ore and export it.

"Why are they in such a great hurry? Ore reserve is not going to be depleted, it will remain below the earth and demand for it will continue."

Goa has 100-odd mining sites and companies export 45 million metric tonnes of iron ore annually.