Karnataka: Hearing on Kappatagudda riles mining firm

Ballari: Ramgad Minerals and Mining Pvt, Ltd. (RMMPL), a  Baldota Group company, which has bagged gold mining rights in Kappatagudda, has objected to the move by the district administration to hold a public consultation to restore its “Conservation Reserve” status.

In a letter to the deputy commissioner of Gadag , the company observed that there was no national park, sanctuary or protected area adjacent to the Kappatagudda forests, and claimed they were not home to any unique flora or fauna either. Pointing out that the government had already given a conservation reserve tag to  89.92 hectares of forest land with medicinal plants, it argued the rest of the region did not warrant similar protection.

Recalling that it had been granted a gold mining lease in the area in 2008, the  company said it was not the first to carry out mining in the region as gold extraction had been carried out here intermittently for over a century.

Explaining that the  mining would be all  underground and would need little digging of land  or cutting of trees, it said, “RMMPL is committed to protecting the environment by adopting modern techonologies.”

Also, pointing out that it had spent crores on establishing a gold ore processing plant in the area,  RMML  maintained that the mining would improve the socio-economic status of the local population and save a lot of foreign exchange for the country.

“We have been given rights by the government for prospecting and mining gold in this area and they cannot be disturbed by declaring it a conservation reserve,” it contended.