NMDC commissions new iron ore mine in Chhattisgarh

NMDC, India's largest iron ore producer and exporter in public sector, on Sunday commissioned its new iron ore mine in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada district, worst hit by insurgency.

The mine - Bailadila Iron Ore Deposit 11B - is located in Bailadila hills where the National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) has already several massive high-quality iron ore mines spread out in Bacheli and Kirandul areas.

The NMDC has developed the mine having iron ore production capacity of 7 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) at an investment of more than Rs. 600 crores.

With the commissioning of 11B Project Mine, NMDC has ramped up production capacity from present level of 25 MTPA to 32 MTPA from Chhattisgarh's Bailadila Sector.

NMDC's chairman-cum-managing director Narendra Kothari formally inaugurated the project.

"This is one of the milestones in fulfilling NMDC's dream to produce more than 100 million tonnes of iron ore and help in achieving the nation's target of producing 300 million tonnes of steel," Kothari said.

A unique feature of 11B Project is its 3.5 km long single flight regenerative downhill belt conveying system with horizontal and vertical curves.