The Central Empowered Committee
(CEC), appointed by the Supreme Court to conduct the survey of iron ore mines
and demarcate the boundaries in three districts of Karnataka, has cleared the
names of 24 mining companies for restarting operations.
In its three separate reports
submitted to the apex court, it has said these companies may be allowed to
resume mining, but subject to a macro environment impact assessment (EIA) plan
and reclamation and rehabilitation plan. These are to be prepared by the Indian
Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) and the state of Karnataka,
respectively, and are approved by the court.
The mining operations in leases
found involved in illegal mining may be allowed to resume only after the
damaged area is physically reclaimed and rehabilitated, CEC said.
The ICFRE is said to have
completed the EIA study for Bellary district and is likely to give the report
to the apex court this week. The Supreme Court had directed suspension of
mining activities in the state in its July 29 order.
The companies already cleared by
CEC include NMDC, Mysore Minerals Ltd, Ramgadh Mining and Minerals Ltd
Shantipriya, Allum Prashant, H N Premkumar, PBS, Gavisiddeshwara, ZTC,
Varalakshmi Mining, Nadeem minerals, Tiffen Barytes, VNK Menon, VESCO , B
Kumargoud, Allum Basavaraj and AM Minerals.
The industry is hopeful of
resuming mining operations sometime this month once the Supreme Court gives a
green signal. “It all depends on acceptance of the EIA report by the court. We
are hoping that things will change very soon and the industry will get
permission to restart by the end of November,” sources said.
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