Sesa Goa, a Vedanta Group company, already seeing erosion in profits due to a mining ban in Karnataka, is facing fresh trouble in Goa, with a stop-mining order on a petition from locals.

A sub-divisional magistrate (Bicholim) has directed immediate stopping of work at its Phase-III mines in Advalpal village (north Goa). Phase-I and -II mining operations in the area were stopped earlier. Sesa Goa sources 15 mt of ore from Goa annually. From Phase-III, it gets 200,000 tonnes of ore.

SC nod can lead to production of 6-7 mt from 49 category A, B mines

The shortage of iron ore in Karnataka is likely to ease by July, as regular mining is expected to resume in a couple of months from now. The Supreme Court-appointed authorities are preparing reclamation and rehabilitation (R&R) plans, stoking hopes of an end to the stalemate. Once the apex court approves the plans, mining can resume in 49 leases of 50-hectares and above falling under the A and B category mines in the districts of Bellary, Chitradurga and Tumkur.

New Delhi: While former Karnataka chief minister B S Yeddyurappa may have come under the scanner of Supreme Court’s Central Empowered Committee (CEC) in two specific cases of making financial gain

In a relief for the mining industry, the Supreme Court today proposed resumption of operations in 45 iron ore mining leases in Karnataka, provided they abide by the Reclamation and Rehabilitation (

Bangalore Mining in Karnataka is back on its feet. The Supreme Court has allowed mining to resume in iron ore mines of more than 50 hectares after rehabilitation and reclamation plans (R&R) for these leases are approved by the Central Empowered Committee (CEC).

The court accepted the recommendatations of the CEC which refer to restarting mining in two groupings of mines referred to as A and B groups, a classification that the panel had made based on a survey of the extent of irregularities. The two groups together constitute some 100 mines.

Sets stiff terms allows auction of iron ore already lying in stockyards

The Supreme Court on Friday partially lifted the ban on mining in three districts of Karnataka. It was lifted for a certain category of mines, with strict conditions. The court also allowed the auction of iron ore already lying in stockyards, under the supervision of a monitoring committee.
The court directed the Union ministry of environment and forests to “revisit” clearances given in the light of the reclamation and resettlement (R&R) programme.

Water scarcity always evokes a knee-jerk measure - drilling borewells; long-term plans need of the hour.

Every drop is priceless: Scramble for water is a common sight in villages during summer. Given the ever-increasing demand for the precious commodity, only scientific conservation methods will save the day. Elected representatives are demanding more and more funds from the government for drilling borewells in the 123 drought affected taluks spread across 24 districts.

Industry wants quick SC intervention as the only alternative for survival

Seven months after the Supreme Court issued a detailed corrective plan for rampant illegal mining in Karnataka, until recently the iron ore hub of India, the viability of the Rs 45,000-crore steel industry in the southern state remains in question.

The State government has decided to supply drinking water to Bijapur and Chitradurga districts from reservoirs under the ‘Kannada Ganga’ water supply scheme in the coming days, said Minister for Law, Urban Development and Parliamentary Affairs Suresh Kumar.

Speaking with mediapersons here on Tuesday, he said this apart, the government will supply drinking water to towns and cities across the State under the scheme.

New Delhi: The bang with which the Karnataka mining scam came to the fore, dethroning B S Yeddyurrapa as CM in its wake, could soon end in a whimper, if the Supreme Court’s Centrally Empowered Comm