Panel nails mining firms, officials

Supreme Court-appointed committee points to large-scale deforestation in Tumkur district

The Central Empowered Committee appointed by the Supreme Court has extensively brought to the fore instances of illegal mining.

The final report of the committee led by P V Jayakrishnan, also constituted by the Supreme Court, has also laid bare the irregularities.

Of the 10,597 sq km of geographical expanse of the district, 1,117.11 sq km is forest land.

However, according to a forest survey conducted by the Central government in 2005, only 552 sq km of forest land remains. The extent of dense forest is only 62 sq km.

Also, 94.45 per cent of the total dense forest expanse is on the verge of extinction. As many as 55 companies had been granted mining lease on 2,678.97 hectares.

Of these, 24 were involved in mining on an area of 1203.10 hectares (including 257.37 hectares of forest land).

The companies produced only 2.3 lakh metric tonnes of iron ore in 2001-02. In 2008-09, 25.30 lakh metric tonnes were mined. A survey had been conducted by a team of officials of the revenue, forest, mines and geology departments in 2010. The survey revealed that there was illegal mining by 12 companies, by violating mining leases, on 120 acres of government land.

Renewal of lease

They have mined 1,291 million metric tonnes of ore in violation of rules. In November 2009, the deputy conservator of forests had written to the secretary of the mines department regarding the wrongdoings of nine mining companies. The report recommends that the leases of these firms be cancelled and that they seek renewal under Forest Conservation Act.

The Principal Conservator of Forests wrote to the Mines and Geology Department Commissioner on March 24, 2008, that action be taken against officials who allowed some of the companies to conduct mining in forest and gomala lands. But no action was taken.

The wastes from the mining area were spilt outside the lease area, besides polluting water bodies in the vicinity. Illegal mining has had an adverse effect on crops, besides causing sound pollution. The report recommends a resurvey like in Bellary.