The India government has suspended environmental clearances given to 93 iron ore mines in Goa, reports said citing Environment Minister Jayanthi Natarajan.
"We have kept them (environmental clearances) in abeyance," Natarajan said, without giving details, reports added.
On Monday, the Goa mining industry was ordered to shut all operations until further orders, according to reports.
An expert panel formed by the government found "serious illegalities and irregularities" in mining operations, the state government said in a statement late on Monday, reports said.
The panel in a report last week said air and water pollution in the mining areas in Goa were not being controlled and had exceeded tolerance limits.
Goa accounts for more than half the nation’s overseas sales of the steelmaking raw material.