H D Kumaraswamy gives nod to KIOCL to start Devadari mine operation

Newly appointed Union Steel and Heavy Industries  Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Wednesday signed the first official file of the Ministry, approving Kudremukh Iron Ore Company Ltd (KIOCL) to operationalise the Devadari Iron Ore Mine.

“The first file of KIOCL was signed for the operation of the Devadari iron ore mine,” the Minister posted on X.

The KIOCL, a central public sector enterprise under the Steel Ministry and an iron-ore exporting unit, had planned to start mining operations at the Devadari Iron Ore mine in Sandur taluk of Ballari district. The company has plans to produce around 3 lakh tonnes per annum in 2024-25.

The company has already secured statutory clearances, including Indian Bureau of Mines, Ministry of Environment and Forests and Karnataka State Pollution Control Board, in this regard.

A mining lease has been executed with Mines and Geology department of Karnataka government for extracting iron and manganese ore on 388 hectares of land for a period of 50 years.

The mining operations in Devadari will be a lifeline to the KIOCL. After the closure of iron ore mining in Kudremukh in Chikkamagaluru district in 2006, the company has been dependent on ore from Chhattisgarh for its plant in Mangaluru.