Truck transportation resumes at Gandhamardana mines

Iron ore transportation through trucks started on Monday at Gandhamardana mines belonging to Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC), after a pause of nearly 14 months.

The large iron ore mine of the state-run miner was shut down following restriction imposed by the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF).

OMC had got the relief from the Supreme Court, which lifted the restriction on sale and despatch of the huge stock of iron ore fines raised from the Gandhamardan mines in Keonjhar district.

The mine has over three million tonne unsold iron ore fines stacked at the site, sufficient for more than a year's need for state-based secondary steel makers who do not have captive mines, industry sources said.

The truck movement was very thin in the area on Monday and would gradually pick up as buyers place their orders for the raw material, said Ramakanta Nayak, president of Keonjhar Truck Owners' Association.

“The truck transportation started on Monday as there was an order of 1,000 tonne iron ore fines. But it will remain closed during Wednesday and Thursday for puja holidays and resume if more orders come,” he said.

MoEF had halted the operation of the mine citing that the area on which the fines were dumped is forestland and forest clearance had not been obtained for the purpose.

Objecting to MoEF order, the state government in January, 2012, had asked OMC to approach the Supreme Court praying for permission to retain the entire forest area of 519.74 ha of area within the Gandhamardan-A mining lease area of 618.576 ha.

Of the total 519.74 ha forest area of the mining site, the MoEF has granted stage-1 approval on 117.96 ha land, against for 216.36 ha area applied by OMC for diversion.

The MoEF decision was based on the recommendation of the state forest department, which had opined to divert only 117.9648 ha, citing problems to elephant movements in the region.