Bellary(DH) :Bellary Steels and Alloys Ltd (BSAL),has got the forest department clearance to mine iron ore in Sandur taluk in Bellary district. The move comes after the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) began clearing fresh mining projects in Karnataka.
The forest department, in its order on May 15, accorded permission to BSAL to mine in 39.70 hectare of forest land in Jaisinghpura village of Sandur taluk for a period of 20 years.
This period will be co-terminus with the mining lease granted under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act of 1957.
BSAL, which is a wholly owned company of Sesa Goa Ltd, an arm of Vedanta Group, has received conditional clearance from the State Forest department based on the CEC recommendations.
Accordingly, a 36-point condition has been put on BSAL for mining in 39.70 hectares of forest land.
As per the conditions, the CEC and the Forest department have set guidelines for Reclamation and Rehabilitation (R&R) which BSAL has been asked to follow.
BSAL has been asked to adhere to the compensatory afforestation programme by planting trees in 39.70 hectares of land in survey number 74 of Yerbanahalli village in Sandur taluk.
Further, to demarcate the said land and ensure mining does not take place beyond the boundaries of approved lease land, BSAL has been asked to erect concrete pillars duly numbered at a distance of 20 metres from each other.
Directions have been issued to the State government by CEC to maintain 7.5 metres of safety zone around the entire boundary of mining land.
Sources said the CEC is now taking up mining permissions on a case-by-case basis, in accordance with Supreme Court directives on mining in the State. It is expected that more mining leases will be granted in the coming months.
