SAIL gets forest clearance to start Rs. 4,700-cr Gua mine project.

The Forest Advisory Committee of Environment Ministry has accorded final approval for diversion of about 636 hectares of Saranda forest land for mining to steel maker SAIL, a development that will help the PSU to start its Rs. 4,700-crore Gua iron ore mine project.

'The project has been cleared,' a highly-placed official in the Steel Ministry told PTI.

SAIL had approached the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) to secure forest clearance for diversion of 635.986 hectares of forest land in Durgaiburu lease of Gua iron ore mines located in Saranda forest area of Jharkhand.

It had received preliminary forest clearance for 274.691 hectares of Durgaiburu iron ore lease in August, 2012.

The mine has remained closed since June 2011 in absence of environment and forest clearance, hitting the iron ore production of the state-run company.

HBL