In a gold mining rush, the Center has finally agreed to divert 150 acres of forest land in Madhya Pradesh for gold mining.
A private company plans to mine 130 kg of gold per year in Singrauli district. This region is part of the Mahakoshal mineral belt of India, which is known for hosting gold, sulphides, nickel, platinum group elements (PGE) and other related minerals.
The Environmental Assessment Committee (ECA) of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MMKFK) reviewed and examined the proposal, recommending the approval of the mining project on forest land. In its approval, the EAC allowed the proposal by Kundan Gold Mines Private Limited to mine a maximum of 1.12 metric tonnes per annum (MTPA) in 149.30 hectares of forest land located in Gurhar Pahar Gold Block in Chitrangi tehsil of Singrauli district. This will involve extracting 130kg of raw and unprocessed gold directly from the mine, while the remaining 990kg is considered tailings.
