Illegal mining in elephant corridor during Koda rule

PATNA: Illegal mining, both of iron-ore lumps and iron-ore fines, had picked up pace during the Madhu Koda regime, primarily in mineral-rich West Singhbhum district of Jharkhand.

Though iron ore lumps were up for grabs by the beneficiaries of Koda’s indulgence, iron ore fines, too, were in demand due to the advancement in technology that enabled processing of iron-ore fine dust. Small wonder that the associates of Koda also laid their hands on dusty iron-ore fines which too were illegally mined.

“Countries like China, South Korea and Australia had developed technology to process iron ore fines. So, along with the iron-ore lumps, the associates of Koda exported iron-ore fines in large quantity to these countries,” said a former official of the Jharkhand state mines and geology department. “Now, of course, Tata and Sail have this technology “ the officer added.

For years, sources said, deposits of iron-ore fines were strewn all over Chaibasa because there were no takers for them. But new technology created a demand for the iron-ore fines, prompting Koda’s aides to illegally mine both iron-ore lumps as well as iron-ore fines.

It is essentially in the domain of the Centre to award mining lease rights for ores found in the forest area. “There was no way the Centre would have given lease rights for mining in the forested area of Chaibasa which has been acknowledged as an elephant corridor. But indiscriminate illegal mining continued there as those involved in the exercise had nothing to fear,“ sources said.

The mining operation of the iron-ore involves drilling and blasting exercise which normally yields 45% iron-ore lumps and 55% iron-ore fines. The absence of technology until recently to process iron-ore fines left these with no takers.