Kudremukh mining company’s land to be handed over

14 November 2016

The Karnataka state government has ordered the deputy commissioner of Chikkamagaluru to take action against buildings and infrastructure in the Kudremukh mining area. The land will be handed over to the forest department.

It has also ordered the chief wildlife warden to initiate action against the Kudhremukh Iron Ore Company Ltd and Alva’s Kudhremukh Nisargadhama, a health resort, for indulging in commercial activity in an eco-sensitive zone of the national park, the report said.

Based on a petition filed by the Wildlife First Organization, the Karnataka High Court had ordered the Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) for forest, environment and ecology to hear the matter and issue appropriate orders.

Accordingly, the ACS ordered the revenue department to dispossess the lands held by KIOCL and to take action against the health resort for its presence within the eco-sensitive zone.

Bangalore Mirror reported that the issue surfaced when KIOCL sold a part of its leased property to Alva’s Kudhremukh Nisargadhama to set up a luxury health resort despite the expiration of the lease period, and in doing so, defied a Supreme Court order.

The ACS said in his order: “The patta lands possessed by the KIOCL fall within the 10km of the ecosensitive zone of the national park. The absence of environmental clearance violates the guidelines prescribed by the Ministry of Environment and Forests and ordered the chief wildlife warden to take necessary action”.