Union Ministry of Environment and Forest, MoEF, has directed two mines operating close to Bhagwan Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary in Goa to stop their operations. The MOEF order has observed that both the mines had no clearance from the National Board for Wildlife. MoEF director P B Rastogi has asked both the mines to shut their operations with immediate effect for violating section 5 of Environment Protection Act, 1986. The directions from MoEF came after its Bangalore regional office inspected the mining leases and found them not to be implementing various conditions and environmental safeguards.