Mines eating forests is routine

23 February, 2010

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Mines eating forests is routine

1,300 Permits on 100,871 ha since 1980

TIMES NEWS NETWORK , 23 Feb 2010

Bangalore: Even as the cabinet on Saturday permitted more mining in the state, use of forest land for the purpose seems to be no big deal for governments across the country.

1,300 permits covering a whopping 100,871 hectares of forest land have been leased out by the Centre and states for mining since the Forest (Conservation) Act,1980,came into force.

Information complied by the Union environment and forest ministry shows Andhra Pradesh topping the table with leases on more than 15,700 hectares; Karnataka ranks fourth. There have been allegations of illegal mining at the behest of politicians in the two states.

In Karnataka, nearly 10,600 hectares of forest land are used for mining through 134 leases since 1980. Andhra Pradesh is followed by Orissa, with 15,300 hectares. Resource-rich Chattisgarh comes third with 14,922 hectares.

While Punjab has the least mining on forest land, with just 1.66 hectares, Chandigarh, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir, Lakshadweep, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Pondichery and Sikkim have none at all.