Guwahati: The Forest Advisory Committee has granted in-principle approval to a private mining project in Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli district, a region affected by Naxal activity for nearly five decades. The proposed project, located within a tiger corridor, will require felling approximately 1.23 lakh trees.
According to a report by The Tribune, in 2024, the Maharashtra government approved the project at the state level, claiming it would spur regional development and help curb Left-Wing Extremism (LWE).
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A private company plans to build a beneficiation plant to extract hematite and quartzite reserves from the site. The project, which involves diverting 2,315 acres of forest land, carries an estimated cost of Rs 250 crore.
Since the site lies within forest and wildlife zones, the project needs clearances from both the state wildlife board and the central government. Although the Union Ministry of Environment’s Forest Advisory Committee has cleared it, the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife must still approve it due to its location in a designated wildlife corridor.
During its deliberations, the committee noted that development had accelerated in Gadchiroli since the Surjagarh mining project began. According to the district collector, the earlier project generated significant revenue, created jobs for around 3,500 people, and helped improve security by giving forces better access, without recording any casualties despite the area’s Naxal presence.
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The Maharashtra government defended the project by highlighting a reduction in illegal tree felling since mining began in the region in 2021. Officials noted that before the mining operations, smugglers exploited the Indravati river flow to transport illegally felled timber under the pretext of LWE activity.
They argued that expanding mining operations could reduce pressure on forests by offering alternative employment to local villagers.
The state government has promoted the proposal as a comprehensive development initiative aimed at reducing LWE activity and enabling the sustainable and scientific use of Gadchiroli’s natural resources.