Iron ore illegally transported to Jharkhand, says MoEF

Even as the state government is making all-out efforts to curb illegal mining activities, a case of illegal collection of iron ore in Keonjhar and subsequent transfer of the ore to Jharkhand has surfaced, pushing the government to the back foot.

The information pertaining to the illegal collection and transportation of ore under the Keonjhar forest division has been brought to the fore by the eastern regional office of Union ministry of environment & forests (MoEF).

“I am directed to inform that it has been brought to the notice of our office that iron ore is illegally collected from Block-A of Thakurani area, mining lease boundary area of Orissa Minerals Development Corporation (OMDC) adjoining Jharkhand and areas adjoining Roida mines under Keonjhar division and transported to Jharkhand through the porous border,” A K Jena, technical officer (forestry) of MoEF's eastern regional office said in a letter to Aurobindo Behera, principal secretary (forest & environment), Orissa government.

Concerned over the illegal mining activity, the MoEF eastern regional office has asked the state forest & environment department to examine the matter and take appropriate action.

B P Singh, special secretary (forest & environment) said, “We have got the letter from the eastern regional office of MoEF. I have forwarded it to the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF), urging him to get the matter enquired by the district level task force and then submit a report. This is the first time that we have such an allegation from the MoEF office and we have also alerted the steel and mines department on the matter.”

It may be noted that Rungta Mines Ltd which operates iron ore and manganese mines at Jajang village in Keonjhar district is in the dock for violation of certain forest norms and illegal establishment of a mobile crusher unit in the mine leasehold area.

The company which had applied for the second renewal of mining lease (RML) of its mining lease had got the showcause notice of the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO)- Keonjhar division recently in the light of the said violations. The DFO had questioned the company as to why the action should not be against it for violation of Forest (Conservation) Act-1980.

In its showcause notice, the company was blamed for not maintaining a virgin forest cover of 22.10 hectares and totally degrading the area by illicit felling of trees.