<p>Bengaluru: Five years after the forest department said ‘no’ to a proposal to take up mining in nearly 400 acres of pristine virgin forests near a historic temple in Ballari’s Sandur, the government has overruled the same to kickstart a fresh round of procedure for forest clearance.</p>.<p>The National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) had sought 392.92 acres of forest in Swamimalai forests of Sandur.</p>.<p>At that time, the forest land had about 26,000 trees of various species and was home to leopard, sloth bear, four-horned antelope, jackal, Indian wolf, fox, wild boar and other animals.</p>.<p>The forest was also within 1 km radius of the ancient Kumaraswamy-Parvati temple complex.</p>.Karnataka lost Rs 80k cr to illegal mining, says H K Patil.<p>Based on field reports of the deputy conservator of forests and chief conservator of forests, the then principal chief conservator of forests (head of forest force) Punati Sridhar had raised a red flag.</p>.<p>“It is requested not to consider the proposal for moving to the government of India seeking ‘in-principle’ (stage-1) approval,” Sridhar’s letter dated November 26, 2019 stated.</p>.<p>Documents reviewed by <span class="italic">DH</span> show that NMDC tweaked the proposal last year, with the state government stepping up efforts to clear the path for diversion of forest.</p>.<p>The company has reduced forest land requirement to 250.86 acres, while reserving its rights on the rest of the forest.</p>.<p>“Tree felling in the area will be carried out in a phased manner after obtaining permission and as per future mining requirements,” the company has said.</p>.<p>Following a direction from the government, the deputy conservator of forests, Ballari, has now directed the company to make necessary changes in the proposal to process it further.</p>.<p>The company has been told to provide details of land for compensatory afforestation.</p>.<p>The government has, in a similar case, overruled forest departments objections for diversion of 992 acres of forest for another mining proposal by Kudremukh Iron Ore Mining Company Limited. The National Green Tribunal has registered a suo motu case on this. </p>.<p>Sandur-based activist Sreeshaila Aladahalli described the government’s action in the NMDC case was yet another betrayal. “World over, resource consumption is being seen from the lens of intergenerational justice. In Karnataka, KMERC oversight authority has recommended reduction of annual mineral production from 50 million tonnes to 20 million tonnes. But the government is busy finding new ways to open old files put aside due to potential ecological disaster,” he said. </p>.<p>KMERC is the Karnataka Mining Environment Restoration Corporation. </p>.<p>Ballari DCF Basavaraj K N told <span class="italic">DH</span> that no decision had been taken on the matter.</p>.<p>“We are following government’s instructions to look into the proposal. No decision has been taken yet,” he said.</p>
<p>Bengaluru: Five years after the forest department said ‘no’ to a proposal to take up mining in nearly 400 acres of pristine virgin forests near a historic temple in Ballari’s Sandur, the government has overruled the same to kickstart a fresh round of procedure for forest clearance.</p>.<p>The National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) had sought 392.92 acres of forest in Swamimalai forests of Sandur.</p>.<p>At that time, the forest land had about 26,000 trees of various species and was home to leopard, sloth bear, four-horned antelope, jackal, Indian wolf, fox, wild boar and other animals.</p>.<p>The forest was also within 1 km radius of the ancient Kumaraswamy-Parvati temple complex.</p>.Karnataka lost Rs 80k cr to illegal mining, says H K Patil.<p>Based on field reports of the deputy conservator of forests and chief conservator of forests, the then principal chief conservator of forests (head of forest force) Punati Sridhar had raised a red flag.</p>.<p>“It is requested not to consider the proposal for moving to the government of India seeking ‘in-principle’ (stage-1) approval,” Sridhar’s letter dated November 26, 2019 stated.</p>.<p>Documents reviewed by <span class="italic">DH</span> show that NMDC tweaked the proposal last year, with the state government stepping up efforts to clear the path for diversion of forest.</p>.<p>The company has reduced forest land requirement to 250.86 acres, while reserving its rights on the rest of the forest.</p>.<p>“Tree felling in the area will be carried out in a phased manner after obtaining permission and as per future mining requirements,” the company has said.</p>.<p>Following a direction from the government, the deputy conservator of forests, Ballari, has now directed the company to make necessary changes in the proposal to process it further.</p>.<p>The company has been told to provide details of land for compensatory afforestation.</p>.<p>The government has, in a similar case, overruled forest departments objections for diversion of 992 acres of forest for another mining proposal by Kudremukh Iron Ore Mining Company Limited. The National Green Tribunal has registered a suo motu case on this. </p>.<p>Sandur-based activist Sreeshaila Aladahalli described the government’s action in the NMDC case was yet another betrayal. “World over, resource consumption is being seen from the lens of intergenerational justice. In Karnataka, KMERC oversight authority has recommended reduction of annual mineral production from 50 million tonnes to 20 million tonnes. But the government is busy finding new ways to open old files put aside due to potential ecological disaster,” he said. </p>.<p>KMERC is the Karnataka Mining Environment Restoration Corporation. </p>.<p>Ballari DCF Basavaraj K N told <span class="italic">DH</span> that no decision had been taken on the matter.</p>.<p>“We are following government’s instructions to look into the proposal. No decision has been taken yet,” he said.</p>