Bangalore Steel mills, including JSW Steel’s 10-million tonne per annum (mtpa) plant in Bellary, that depend on iron ore from Karnataka are expected to get more raw material in the coming days. With the Supreme Court-constituted monitoring committee deciding to e-auction iron ore frequently, steel output is also expected to rise.

According to sources, there are 11 mining projects awaiting environment clearance in the state. In the case of JSW Steel the government has cleared the company’s proposal to invest another R15,131 crore to increase its installed capacity to 16 mtpa at its existing plant in Bellary. But if the mining ban is not lifted and mining lease is not provided, it would not be possible to expand the capacity from the current level, an official attached to JSW said requesting anonymity.

Bangalore The mining ban in Karnataka has prompted Chinese buyers to identify new overseas markets for iron ore, trade sources said.

The ban in Karnataka is likely to drag down the country’s overall iron ore exports to abysmal levels this year, while it would be an opportunity for other iron ore producing countries waiting to tap the Chinese market.

The SC has allowed to clear already extracted iron ore at the mining sites in three districts of the state as per the recommendation made by the Central Empowered Committee (CEC). Around 15 million tonne (mt) may be in the category of higher grade with 60% plus Fe content and the remaining 10 mt in the lower grade, which will not be consumed by the domestic industry.

BellaryThe Bellary district administration, which had intermittently gone to sleep in the last few days despite the Supreme Court ban on mining, seems to be awake and alert now. The officials have now taken some concrete steps to check illegal transportation of iron ore, after huge quantities of it continued to leak through the borders of the dusty, mineral-rich district.

The Supreme Court on Friday suspended all mining operations in the Bellary district of Karnataka with immediate effect, a day after state Lokayukta Santosh Hegde submitted a damning report that has forced the state chief minister BS Yeddyurappa to resign.

Bangalore The Karnataka government has decided to hear out farmers over their objections filed against the land acquisition proceedings for the proposed R32,000-crore integrated steel plant by South Korean steel major Posco.

Gajendragad (Karnataka)MMTC, the country

Bangalore South Korean steel major Posco may not get water allotment for its proposed R32,366 crore integrated steel project in Karnataka as per its preference as the state government is likely to allot water from a reservoir, situated far away from the site.

According to sources close to the development, Posco is interested in sourcing water from Tungabadra river, which is very close to the pr

Bangalore Karnataka government has chalked out plans to provide irrigation facility for two lakh acre this year in all river basin areas in a bid to increase agricultural output in the state.

The plan is to divert the excess water from the rivers for irrigation.