NEW DELHI: Steel and allied industries in Karnataka on Wednesday expressed apprehensions that the industry would come to a standstill if iron ore mining is banned in Tumkur and Chitradurga districts as recommended by the Supreme Court-appointed panel.The industry is already facing a severe paucity of the raw material after the apex court banned mining in the Bellary-Hospet region.“At this juncture, if the supplies from Chitradurga and Tumkur are also disrupted, then it would be the last nail in the coffin for the steel sector in Karnataka,” Bangalore Chamber of Industry and Commerce (BCIC) said in a statement.It added that “it will be a big blow for the steel sector as there is no other option than closing down the plants completely”.The issue has come up following a recent report of Central Empowered Committee that recommended a ban on mining in the two districtsIt said there was loss of forest land due to illegal mining and excessive production.The report gave findings of about 55 mining leases in Tumkur and about 18 mining leases in 687 hectare of which 500 hectare lies in the forest land in Chitradurga.In its July 29 order, the apex court had banned mining in Bellary due to increasing environmental degradation of the area.In its subsequent hearing on August 5, the Supreme Court provided a partial relief by allowing state-run NMDC to mine one million tonnes of iron ore per month in Bellary region.
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