The Forest Advisory Committee, which deals with forest clearances, allowed JSW Steel and Jindal Power and Steel to divert 1,500 ha of dense forests in the West Singhbhum district of Jharkhand for iron ore and manganese mining.
JSW Steel had sought the diversion of nearly 1,000 hectare to mine iron ore and manganese from the Ankua Reserve Forest, just 6 km away from the high-priority Ankua-Ambia Elephant Corridor.
Jindal Steel and Power sought the diversion of 500 ha for the Ghatkuri iron ore mine. The diversion will affect some 87,000 trees in the area, which is home to a rich variety of flora and fauna.
The Forest Advisory Committee has cited the ministry’s decision to allow forest diversion for iron ore mines for SAIL in the area. In February 2011, the ministry had overruled the FAC to allow SAIL to mine iron ore from the Chiria mines in the area.
The approval by the Forest Advisory Committee for mining in the Saranda Forests is not enough. Environment Minister Jayanthi Natarajan will have to clear the diversion after weighing the benefits of economic growth against concerns of uprooting dense forests.
Saranda is a sensitive area, which was under Maoist control for a decade before paramilitary forces seized control in 2011. Mining in the area could derail Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh’s Saranda Development Plan, which was launched to counter the influence of the Naxals.
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