SC lifts ban on iron ore mining for Karnataka

The Supreme Court Monday lifted the ban on iron ore mining in category A mines in Karnataka’s Bellary, Chitradurga and Timkur districts.

The apex court forest bench headed by Justice Aftab Alam said the lifting of the ban would only be effective in 18 category A mines, subject to their compliance with statutory clearances.

The court said the structural clearances involve approval from the mining department, environmental clearance, pollution clearance from the state pollution control board and an undertaking by the mining lease owners that they will comply with comprehensive plans for rehabilitation and reclamation of the depleted mines in a time-bound manner.

Mining operations will commence only upon the satisfaction of the monitoring committee about the compliance of structuring clearances by the mine owners.

The A category mines are those which are either free of any illegality or had committed marginal illegalities in their mining operations.