The Orissa government has ordered closure of five mines including the Tata Steel and the Orissa Mineral Development Corporation (OMDC) mines, while issuing show cause to 14 other mines in Keonjhar district for violation of forest laws.
The mines, which have been asked to shut are the Katamati mines of Tata Steel, Belakundi mines of OMDC, BC Deb Iron ore and Manganese Mines, Thakurani Iron Ore and manganese mines of BPME ,and Jajanga mines of HG Pandya.
Show cause notices have been issued by the state forest department to 14 mines being operated by Tata Steel, MESCO, Sharada Mines, KJS Alluwalia , KMC, Kaypee Enterprises, RP Sawa and OMC.
According to the Keonjhar divisional forest officer, Sarat Kumar Mohanty, the mines were being operated without getting forest clearances . He said even though there is a rule that fresh forest clearance is required to operate a mine on deemed renewal, many of the mine owners have been found raising minerals violating the rule.
Responding to the order, Tata Steel officials said the DFO Keonjhar had issued a notice to stop all mining activities in the lease area of Katamati iron ore mines, alleging that the forest and non-forest areas have not been demarcated in the field.
?We have clarified to the state government that we are mining only in the non-forest area of the lease. The forest and non-forest area of the lease has been clearly demarcated in the field. The same has been verified by forest officials and authenticated in the maps,? an emailed response said.