Six years after the Supreme Court ordered that mining operations in the Western Ghats be stopped because of environmental concerns, two government bodies have recommended the examination of underground techniques to see if these can be used to resume the hunt for iron ore in the area.
The Indian Council of Forestry and Research Education of Dehradun and a working group of the Planning Commission have both independently recommended such feasibility studies for extracting the resource from the Western Ghats.
The range has large deposits of magnetite ore a compound of iron that is chemically different from hematite ore, which is typically used in India for the extraction of iron and manufacturing of steel.
The move could assume significance in the light of the bans that have recently been imposed on illegal and indiscriminate mining practices in Bellary and elsewhere in Karnataka that led to widespread environmental degradation. The sudden decline in the mining activities, which boomed along with a surge in global demand in the last decade, has led to iron ore exports trickling to a halt.
According to ICFRE, the Western Ghats is estimated to have a deposit of 10 billion tonnes of magnetite ore of which around 8 billion tonnes is located in Karnataka. The Geological Survey of India has reported significant deposits of magnetite in the Chikmagalur, Shimoga and Uttara Kannada districts of the state.
ICFRE made these recommendations in a macro-level environment impact assessment study report of Bellary district following directions by the Supreme Court.
These recommendations were also echoed by a working group of the Planning Commission on the steel industry, headed by Union steel secretary Pradeep Kumar Misra. Mint has copies of both the reports, of which the one by ICFRE is not available in the public domain.
The group in its November 2011 report said that “Although, the present steel capacities in the country are primarily based on haematite iron ore, over a longer period of time, it may also be required to tap the magnetite iron ore resources located in the Western Ghats, where mining activities are currently banned.”
The mining technique that both have recommended is considered environmentally friendly. The working group panel report said that “Unlocking these iron ore resources may need recourse to underground mining technologies, so that the precarious ecological balance in the Western Ghat region is not disturbed while iron ore is extracted.”
However, the recommendations have met with resistance on the part of environmental activists.
ICFRE has been asked to remove the reference to the Western Ghats, said Mr Samaj Parivartana Samudaya founder SR Hiremath, who filed the public interest litigation that led to the report. He said that “ICFRE has clearly gone beyond its mandate and we have asked them to file a fresh report.”
The Karnataka government has also opposed the recommendation. Forest minister CP Yogeshwar said that “The Western Ghats is renowned worldwide for its biodiversity. We will definitely not allow any mining and I am going to lodge a protest with the Centre on this.”
(Sourced from livemint.com)
