99,000 trees in K’taka forest to face axe

Aksheev Thakur

New Delhi, June 19

Union Minister for Steel and Heavy Industries HD Kumaraswamy approved an iron-ore mining project in Sandur forest area in Karnataka which will lead to axing of more than 99,000 trees.

According to sources in the Forest Department, the project proposed by Kudremukh Iron Ore Company (KIOCL) was the first to have received green signal by Kumaraswamy after assuming the office.

Nod to iron-ore mining

• Union Minister Kumaraswamy approved an iron-ore mining project in Sandur forest area in Karnataka which will lead to axing of 99,000 trees
• About 20,000 acres of the 32,000 acres of Sandur’s forest area have already been leased out for iron ore mining
• Senior officials of the Karnataka Forest Department had disapproved of the project in 2019
• Kumaraswamy justified the project stating that the aim is to increase steel production in the state and create more jobs

About 20,000 acres of the 32,000 acres of Sandur’s forest area have already been leased out for iron ore mining. Senior officials of the Karnataka Forest Department had disapproved of the project in 2019 stating that mining would lead to soil erosion and disturb the forest’s ecology.

The Karnataka Government in 2019 recommended the project for Union Environment Ministry’s approval which came in 2022. However, soon after Kumaraswamy assumed office, he gave approval to the project.

Kumaraswamy justified the project stating that the aim is to increase steel production in the state, create more jobs and contribute to GDP growth in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat.

“There is no need to worry about the mining project, as KIOCL will plant an alternative forest in an area of 808 hectares at a cost of around Rs 194 crore before starting the ore extraction work,” the minister said.

“We condemn Kumaraswamy for taking such a disastrous decision, especially at a time when humanity has been impacted by unprecedented extreme climate events — drought, extreme heat, floods and landslides — leading to water and food security. If a natural forest ecosystem is destroyed, it will never recover, leading to global warming and misery for millions of people,” wildlife activist Joseph Hoover said.

The 1,200-year-old temple protected under the Archaeological Survey of India is also under threat due to mining.

“Compensatory afforestation will never undo the damage which will be inflicted on forest’s ecology. Sandur is in Bellary district which is already ruined due to iron ore mining. We had objected to the project,” a forest officer told The Tribune.