Kudremukh Iron Ore

Company Ltd.
Prepared by Group D2

KIOCL: Mindless Mining

Ecologically Sensitive Area:
Renewing lease would repeat errors made in 1969
Mining in ecologically sensitive area - an antithesis of conservation ethics

Anthropocentric vs. Biocentric View:

Directly protecting human life not enough-ecological imbalance
Damage to flora and fauna cannot be ignored

Opportunistic:

Impact of KIOCL Mining

Damages to Tunga
and Bhadra
Tailings seeping
into the rivers
Large-scale
siltation
Water pollution
endangering
aquatic life

Damages to local
settlements
Loss of source of
drinking water
Loss of arable farm
land due to siltation
Requirement of
relocation in
multiple cases disruption of
livelihoods

Damages to the flora

and fauna
Inundation of the
KNP valley by the
Lakhya Dam
Deforestation to
accommodate
mining operations
Loss of habitat for
various species

Open-cast mining: Impact

Impacts of open-cast mining are very severe; magnitudes of post-disturbance sediment

levels are higher compared to changes such as deforestation, agricultural intensification,
roadbuilding etc.
Open-cast mining all over the world is known to have devastating effects on downstream
ecosystems, but the impacts in humid tropical areas is particularly severe.

Wide- Ranging Threats

Failure of Lakhya tailings dam on Bhadra river
Flooding
Poisoning of freshwater
Dam abandonment after ore depletion

Extinction of endangered species

KNP is a habitat for several IUCN Red List species including 20% of Indias
amphibian fauna
20 out of 42 amphibian species in disturbed areas

Flooding due to sedimentation

How Green is KIOCL?

Reforestation:
Monoculture forest cannot replace pristine flora
Done on fertile grassland (designated as wasteland by KIOCL)

Green Belt: Concentration of aerosols and dust adversely affecting

wildlife
Displaced families: Compensation only for privately owned lands
Lakhya tailings dam: Seepage of toxic chemicals into groundwater

Rationale for orderly closure of KIOCL

Heavy fines to International buyers due to non-fulfilment of
contracts
End of lease was expected - KIOCL should not have made new commitments

Loss of 12,500 jobs and difficult time for the workers and their
families
Trained workers - Can be absorbed into NMDC

Reduction in foreign exchange, which is highly required for growth

of India
Export sales of KIOCL in 2001-02 = INR 598.78 cr
Indias total exports in 2001-02 = INR 209017.97 cr