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The standing committee of the State Board for Wildlife (SBWL) has issued a firm 'no' to the proposed iron ore mining in Lohardongri, situated within the crucial tiger corridor connecting Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR), Bramhapuri, and Umred-Karhandla-Paoni Wildlife Sanctuary.
The mining lease area, located in the dense Kachepaar reserve forest, just 1.5km from Lohardongri village, was acquired by a Nagpur-based steel company in 2019 for its plant in Warthi near Bhandara. The proposed mine in Bramhapuri's compartment number 439 requires a significant diversion of 36 hectares of rich forest land and is home to tigers and other precious wildlife.
Initially proposed at the 22nd SBWL meeting on October 16, 2023, the decision was deferred due to the ongoing man-animal conflict in Bramhapuri. A three-member committee was subsequently formed to assess the mine's impact, with a preliminary report submitted in December. On January 24, 2024, the standing committee of SBWL rejected the mining proposal in Lohardongri.
The decision calls for a reevaluation of the project, with the preliminary report recommending that the entire 36-hectare forest area, stretching from Ghodazari to the Ekara Conservation Reserve, be secured by declaring it a sanctuary. Additionally, it suggests incorporating the area of the actual mine into the proposed sanctuary after the lease period.
While the proposal has not yet been forwarded to the National Board of Wildlife (NBWL) and lacks forest and environmental clearances, the report emphasises the need for wildlife clearance first. Aditya Joshi, a wildlife biologist, warns that such diversions will further degrade the forests in the region, which are already under anthropogenic pressure and contributing to human-wildlife conflict.
Bandu Dhotre, an ex-member of SBWL, advocates against sacrificing the entire hillock for mining, emphasising the importance of considering the long-term impact on wildlife and the ecosystem.
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