Rehab plan to reclaim mining ravaged areas of Ballari to be revised again

Ballari: The reclamation and rehabilitation plan drawn up on the orders of the Supreme Court for the mining affected areas and communities of the ore -rich district of Ballari is being revised yet again, for the fourth time.

The district administration will hold consultative meetings in Ballari, Sandur and Hosapete on July 16, 17 and 18 respectively, to get suggestions from elected representatives, non-governmental organisations, mining firms and the public for a revised action plan for the next 10 years.

The suggestions received will be discussed at a meeting with MLAs on July 19 in Ballari before the action plan is revised, according to Deputy Commissioner, Ramprasath Manohar.

A part of the Comprehensive Environment Plan for the Mining Impact Zone (CEPMIZ), the plan will be implemented through the Karnataka Mining Environment Restoration Corporation (KMERC) constituted by the state government to act as a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV).

The first plan with an outlay of Rs 1,590 crore was proposed in November 2014 and was given a framework of three years. It was revised in February 2016 with an increased outlay of Rs 3,700 crore and was given a deadline of five years. It was revised further with an outlay for Rs 4,500 crore and ten per cent of the sale proceeds of iron ore through e-auction by the mining lessees was set aside for implementing it.

The new plan will include programmes for overall socio-economic development, restoration of the environment, giving a thrust to skill development, preventing siltation of rivers and tanks, and construction of anganwadi and schools , bypass roads, an underground drainage and solid waste management facilities.

Once this revised socio-economic plan is ready, it will be submitted to the Supreme Court for its approval.

The court had on March 21, 2017 approved integrated mining and part of the railway infrastructure built under the CEPMIZ .

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