NEWS – 13 Years On, No Rehabilitation in Karnataka’s Mining Areas

HIGHLIGHTS

• In January 2012, the Supreme Court of India ordered immediate rehabilitation and reclamation (R&R) of mining-affected regions in:
  • Ballari
  • Vijayanagara
  • Chitradurga
  • Tumakuru
• The order came in light of extensive ecological damage caused by illegal and unregulated mining.
• The Central Empowered Committee (CEC) provided R&R guidelines in March 2012, accepted by the Federation of Indian Mineral Industries (FIMI).

What R&R Entails

• Pollution control (dump & pit management)
• Afforestation and biodiversity conservation
• Soil and moisture conservation
• Development of physical and social infrastructure

Findings of the Central Empowered Committee (2025)

• Little to no progress in many lease areas after 13 years.
• Category B (Partly Illegal) Mines:
  • Total leases: 64
  • Guarantee money recovered: 45
    • Out of these, 12 have not completed R&R.
    • Escalated project costs have rendered guarantee amounts inadequate.
  • 19 leaseholders have not paid guarantee money.
  • CEC Recommendation: Ban ore sales from non-compliant leases; allow government sale to recover R&R cost.
• Category A (Legal) Mines:
  • Mines that have not resumed operations have also not started R&R.
• Category C (Illegal Mines):
  • Post-auction mines that resumed mining have not initiated R&R work.
  • Recommendation: Government to recover costs through ore sale.

Legal and Administrative Response

• Mining firms have approached the Supreme Court seeking permission to sell:
  • Low-grade iron ore
  • Sub-grade ore in waste dumps
• CEC opposes sales unless R&R is executed or costs are recovered.