Official bats for mining policy

Presently, there is a mad race among mine owners to extract minerals. “Every one wants to increase the production and make profit. Minerals are non-renewable resources. If the same trend continues, we will exhaust all our resources in the next 20 to 25 years,” he warned.

Reddy was speaking at the inauguration of a two-day national seminar on “Challenges in the changed scenario of mining,” organised by Mines Safety Association of Karnataka.

The forest cover is fast shrinking due to heavy mining. There is a huge difference between natural forest and grown trees. Natural forest comprises plants, trees, wildlife and number of other aspects which help maintain an ecological balance. Once forest is destroyed, the entire ecology gets disturbed. It cannot be compensated by simply growing trees, he explained.

The ecological imbalance has led to climate change. The environment may not be congenial for the future generation to live happily. “This is an ethical issue, and every citizen has a right to question this,” he stated.

The Association Chairman Ajay Saraf said though the demand for minerals is going up, the government is delaying giving permission for starting new mines. Especially, it is very difficult to get clearance from the State government, he added.