More mining leases might be cleared soon

After the CEC approved eight mining leases in Karnataka, the director of the state's department of mines and geology, H R Srinivasa, said R&R (reclamation and rehabilitation) plans had been prepared for six mining leases in Category A and three in Category B, having lease-hold area in excess of 50 hectares.

Talking to reporters on the sidelines of the two-day second annual conference of OreTeam, a Delhi-based mining research firm, here today, Srinivasa said the CEC approved eight of those leases (six in Category A and two in Category B).

He said 12 mtpa out of the 30 mtpa cap fixed by the Supreme Court would be produced by NMDC, while the remaining 18 mtpa would come from all other mines in the state. The Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education, while preparing R&R plans, would fix the quantity for each mine and the IBM (Indian Bureau of Mines) would approve mining plans based on that. He said more mines would be cleared soon.

The apex court-appointed monitoring committee has auctioned 22 mtpa of iron ore of the 25 mtpa stockpile put up for auction. The remaining three mtpa is sufficient for barely two more months.

Earlier, speaking at the conference, Vinod Nowal, director and CEO, JSW Steel, said the company might have to think of shutting one of its blast furnaces if mining did not restart by the end of August.