Nagpur: The state govt has allowed a private firm to conduct exploration, survey and prospecting of iron ore on about 624 hectares of forest land in Ettapalli taluka of Gadchiroli district. A GR issued earlier this week mentions that permission has been given for drilling 78 boreholes on reserved forest land near Welmagad village and the survey has to be completed within one year from the issue of approval.Gadchiroli district, which earlier this year broke free from the decades-long grip of left-wing extremism, is attracting massive investments for mining companies. CM Devendra Fadnavis has said on multiple occasions that he wants Gadchiroli to be the next steel city of India, with fully integrated complexes that service the full value chain from ore to steel.The Regional Office of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change in Nagpur gave in-principle approval on June 25, 2025. The final approval came on Jan 29 this year, after the firm’s compliance with the conditions was submitted. The collector then issued a certificate for the forest land under the Forest Rights Act, 2006.The GR laid down conditions such as a ban on building labour camps in the forest area, drilling only during daytime and making no additional paths for the survey. The firm must give labour details to the deputy conservator of forests (DCF), Bhamragarh, and ensure that abandoned boreholes are backfilled immediately after drilling, before starting work on new ones.The GR said permission for the survey, or payment of net present value for it, does not give the firm any right to forest clearance for the land, and that such decisions will be taken on merit by the competent authority. Project activities are also subject to a valid lease, all other statutory clearances for the mining project, deposit of the requisite funds and compliance with any court orders.DCF Bhamragarh has been directed to monitor compliance and report violations to the additional principal chief conservator of forests and nodal officer in Nagpur and to the forest department.The chief conservator of forests, Gadchiroli, has been entrusted with the responsibility to ensure strict compliance and report to the nodal officer from time to time. The firm must allow forest officers unhindered access to the area, failing which the permission will be withdrawn.
