Odisha govt seeks Centre's approval for forest land diversion for Tata Steel’s iron ore block
The Odisha government has formally requested the Centre’s approval to divert 216.875 hectares of forest land in Keonjhar district for mining activities related to the Gandhalpada iron ore block allotted to Tata Steel Ltd. The proposal, submitted to the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), outlines the need for forest land clearance under Section 2(1)(iii) of the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980. The forest land, located within the Keonjhar forest division, falls under a 241.1-hectare lease area, with 216.875 hectares designated as forest land, including a 4.21-hectare safety zone. The remaining 24.22 hectares are non-forest land. Tata Steel aims to nearly double its crude steel production capacity by 2030, and the Gandhalpada iron ore block is crucial for achieving this goal. Tata Steel's Expansion Plans To meet its target of 40 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) by 2030, Tata Steel requires an estimated 66 MTPA of iron ore. The Gandhalpada block, which was auctioned in 2021, has iron ore resources estimated at 314.37 million tonnes.