'Firms must build transport ways before mining huge amount of ore'

N K Jiwrajka, former member secretary of the central empowered committee of the Supreme Court, has called for steps to ensure contractors cannot mine more than three crore metric tonnes of ore till they build railway conveyor belts and railway slidings to transport the ore.

In a 47-page submission to the court, Jiwrajka said extraction of huge quantity of ore could be allowed only after making arrangements to transport it without harming the environment.

The report says that the committee had, in the past, recommended that mining should be stopped if railway conveyor belts and railway slidings are not installed within a 21-month deadline in the mining areas of Ballari and Chitradurga districts.

The recommendation should be taken seriously, the committee has said.

JSW steel company consumes 70% of the ore produced in the state, the committee says, adding that it should restore the defunct pipeline conveyor from Nandihalli in Sandur taluk to Toranagal.

The report of the committee says that new companies should set up infrastructure basic to mining before they are allowed to extract ore.

The Karnataka Mining Environment Restoration Corporation should direct the companies to fund acquisition of forest land for the construction of the railway conveyor belts and railway slidings.

The report says that 40% of the ore produced in the district passes through roads in Sandur taluk. Development works should be undertaken at a cost of Rs 70 crore here by taking funds from the companies, the committee says in the report.