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Rs 15,742-cr plan to revive ecology in mine-ravaged dists

Karnataka submits action plan to SC to repair forest damage in Ballari, Chitradurga & Tumakuru
Last Updated 22 October 2016, 20:03 IST

 Karnataka has submitted a Rs 15,742-crore plan to the Supreme Court, spelling out the measures it intends to take to reclaim and rehabilitate areas destroyed by illegal mining of iron ore in the three mineral-rich districts of Ballari, Chitradurga and Tumakuru.

In a proposal submitted to the Supreme Court, the Karnataka government stated that its Comprehensive Environment Plan for the Mining Impact Zone (CEPMIZ) would revive the forest and the environment in these districts. The CEPMIZ, which was prepared in consultation with the Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC), will be implemented over 10 years, the written submission states.  Of the estimated cost of Rs 15,742 crore, Rs 11,842 crore will come from the special purpose vehicle, Karnataka Mining Environment Restoration Corporation (KMERC). The railways will contribute Rs 1,000 crore and iron ore lessees and steel plants of these districts Rs 2,900 crore.

Seeking the court’s approval for the CEPMIZ, Karnataka said it was committed to establishing a robust monitoring and supervision framework for implementation of the project. The KMERC’s task is to mitigate the impact of mining, repair the damage caused by mining, take up afforestation and address issues in education, health, nutrition, water supply, employment and minor irrigation, said a Karnataka government official.

Taking grim view of large-scale damage to forests and environment in the mineral-rich districts, the Supreme Court had earlier noted, “The formation of the special purpose vehicle and the drawing up of the CEPMIZ are perhaps the most essential parts in the process of reclamation and rehabilitation of the area devastated by illegal mining.”

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(Published 22 October 2016, 20:03 IST)

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