Local protesters have forced India's biggest iron ore miner, NMDC ,
to suspend production and shipments from Chhattisgarh which accounts for
two-thirds of its 25 million tonnes annual output, a company official said on
Wednesday.
NMDC's mines in the state produce about 40,000 tonnes of the
ore, which is vital for the steel industry, every day. Vast areas of the
mineral-rich state are a stronghold of Maoist rebels and public protests
against the government are common.
“There is a total halt in iron ore transportation and
mining as well,” NMDC official S.P. Himanshu said.
India, one of the world's biggest iron ore exporters, uses
just over half its annual production of around 213 million tonnes at home. Most
of NMDC's output is used domestically.
Work at the Chhattisgarh mines has been disrupted for almost
a week and NMDC said it was not sure when shipments would resume.
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