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Judgment of the National Green Tribunal regarding mining activities carried out by SAIL in forest area of Barsua-Taldih-Kalta, Sundergarh, Odisha, 06/04/2022

  • 06/04/2022

Judgment of the National Green Tribunal (Eastern Zone Bench, Kolkata) in the matter of Dulal Singh Vs Steel Authority of India Ltd. & Others dated 06/04/2022.

The Steel Authority of India Limited is stacking and loading iron ore in rail wagons illegally and unauthorisedly using 77.94 hectares of forest land in Toda reserve forest in ML-162 (mining lease), stated the application filed by Dulal Singh, resident of Lahunipada, Sundergarh district, Odisha. SAIL is  is engaged in iron ore mining in Barsua-Taldih-Kalta area of Sundergarh with a capacity of 8.05 MTPA in an area of 2253.99 hectares of forest land.

The tribunal was informed that Stage-II clearance has been granted to SAIL, October 23, 2017 and permission for operationalisation of mining lease i.e., ML-162 has also been granted by the Supreme Court, May 11, 2018. Moreover, the government of Odisha has also allowed resumption of mining operation within the approved forest area over 77.94 hectares of ML-162 since May 17, 2018.

For aforesaid reasons, the NGT dismissed the application.