Kuduremukh Iron Ore Company Ltd. (KIOCL), which plans to take up iron ore mining in the Devdari area of Sandur taluk, has accepted the conditions put forward by the state Forest Department. The company is seeking rights over 338 hectares in the Swami Malai forest, with final clearance already secured from the Union Forest Ministry.
The state Forest Department, earlier reluctant to part with the land, citing the Central Empowered Committee’s (CEC) observations on Kudremukh’s forest damage, has now obtained assurances from KIOCL and the Union Steel Ministry. Both have pledged to follow CEC’s directives and additional state requirements.
In a letter to the government, KIOCL confirmed compliance, handing over 114.3 hectares within Kudremukh National Park along with its structures, adhering to guidelines on 53.82 acres, and accepting accountability for 340 hectares submerged due to the Lakya Dam’s height increase.
The department has noted that nearly 99,330 trees would be lost if Devdari mining proceeds. While KIOCL has received most permissions, access remains an issue as no road leads to the site. An application to use forest land for connectivity was submitted on August 20.
The tussle between the Steel Ministry and the state government over forest land transfer is expected to come up in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Pragati’ meeting.
Critics point out that while KIOCL claims to be addressing Kudremukh’s forest loss, it plans to fell nearly one lakh trees in Sandur.
The Devdari lease, valid for 50 years, was initially to end on January 17, 2025, under the MMDR Act. Renewed on December 30, 2024, the company must begin production by December 30 this year, failing which the lease risks cancellation.