Nalco granted final forest clearance for bauxite mining in Odisha's Koraput area
25 Jul 2011
National Aluminium Company Ltd (Nalco) has received final (Stage-II) forest clearance for its bauxite mining lease renewal, allowing it to dig for bauxite in the Panchpatmali South Block for more than 20 years.
This would involve the diversion of 110.3 hectares of forest land in Odisha's Koraput district.
The original lease period in the Panchpatmali South Block expired after 30 years of mining and considering the current expansion projects under implementation at different units, the approval would help the company enhance its production capacity at the desired pace, according to a Nalco release.
The state government had earlier sought the centre's approval for diversion of 110.3 hectares of forest land while renewing the mining lease in the Panchpatmali South Block for bauxite mining, in accordance with the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980.
After the consideration of the proposal by the Forest Advisory Committee constituted by the central government, the ministry of environment and forests had granted an in-principle (Stage-I) approval for the diversion, subject to fulfilment of certain conditions, the company said in its release.
The Odisha government, while furnishing a compliance report in respect of the conditions laid down in the in-principle approval, requested the centre for grant of final approval.
On the basis of the compliance report, the centre last week granted approval for diversion of 110.3 hectares of forest land in Panchpatmali.