KIOCL Lease Extended Till 2028 In Sandur Forest
COAL & MINING

KIOCL Lease Extended Till 2028 In Sandur Forest

Kudremukh Iron Ore Company Ltd (KIOCL), facing financial strain and the risk of losing control over a large forest tract, has secured a two-year extension of its mining lease in Karnataka’s Sandur Devadari range, even as environmental activists raised fresh concerns over ecological damage.

The company had received Stage-II forest clearance for 470.4 hectares (around 1,162 acres) in January 2023 and was granted a mining lease for iron and manganese extraction. However, KIOCL failed to begin operations within the mandatory two-year period and initially obtained a one-year extension from the state government until 1 January 2026.

Under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, leases lapse if production does not begin within the stipulated timeframe. With the deadline approaching, KIOCL sought intervention from the Union Ministry of Mines, citing delays in executing the forest lease agreement and related legal proceedings before the Karnataka High Court.

In an order dated 27 November 2025, the Ministry invoked its powers under Section 20(A) to grant a further two-year extension, pushing the operational deadline to 1 January 2028. The Ministry noted that the delay occurred due to factors beyond the company’s control and also directed KIOCL to comply with Supreme Court conditions applicable to the earlier Kudremukh mining operations.

Environmental groups strongly criticised the move. Sandur-based activist Sreeshaila Aladahalli said the Forest Department had opposed the project at multiple levels as it would require felling nearly 99,000 trees in an untouched forest zone. He urged authorities to protect the remaining green cover, warning that preventing further deforestation is critical for climate mitigation.

Kudremukh Iron Ore Company Ltd (KIOCL), facing financial strain and the risk of losing control over a large forest tract, has secured a two-year extension of its mining lease in Karnataka’s Sandur Devadari range, even as environmental activists raised fresh concerns over ecological damage. The company had received Stage-II forest clearance for 470.4 hectares (around 1,162 acres) in January 2023 and was granted a mining lease for iron and manganese extraction. However, KIOCL failed to begin operations within the mandatory two-year period and initially obtained a one-year extension from the state government until 1 January 2026. Under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, leases lapse if production does not begin within the stipulated timeframe. With the deadline approaching, KIOCL sought intervention from the Union Ministry of Mines, citing delays in executing the forest lease agreement and related legal proceedings before the Karnataka High Court. In an order dated 27 November 2025, the Ministry invoked its powers under Section 20(A) to grant a further two-year extension, pushing the operational deadline to 1 January 2028. The Ministry noted that the delay occurred due to factors beyond the company’s control and also directed KIOCL to comply with Supreme Court conditions applicable to the earlier Kudremukh mining operations. Environmental groups strongly criticised the move. Sandur-based activist Sreeshaila Aladahalli said the Forest Department had opposed the project at multiple levels as it would require felling nearly 99,000 trees in an untouched forest zone. He urged authorities to protect the remaining green cover, warning that preventing further deforestation is critical for climate mitigation.

Related Stories

Gold Stories

Next Story
Products

Koemmerling opens Navi Mumbai experience centre

Koemmerling, a brand of the profine Group, has expanded its presence in the Mumbai metropolitan region with the opening of a new experience centre in Navi Mumbai and launched its Allure S46 minimal sliding door system for the Indian market.Located in CBD Belapur, the facility was inaugurated by Peter Mrosik, Owner and CEO, profine Group, along with Farid Khan, Chairman and Managing Director, profine India, and Kamal Bajaj, CEO, profine India.The company said the new centre will showcase its portfolio of uPVC and aluminium window and door systems to architects, developers and homeowners.The ina..

Next Story
Products

India's waterproofing market nears Rs 150 bn milestone

India's waterproofing industry is approaching a market size of Rs 150 billion and is expected to surpass the $2 billion milestone, according to speakers at the 2nd India International Waterproofers Conference & Expo 2026 organised by the Waterproofers Association of India (WAI) in New Delhi.The two-day event brought together more than 20 speakers, 55 international delegates and 53 exhibition booths, with discussions focusing on climate-resilient construction, advanced waterproofing technologies and international collaboration.Inaugurating the event, Durga Shanker Mishra, former Secretary, ..

Next Story
Real Estate

Dilip Buildcon Q1 FY27 Revenue at Rs 23.78 billion

Dilip Buildcon Limited reported consolidated revenue from operations of Rs 2,378 crore in Q1 FY27, along with EBITDA of Rs 429 crore and profit after tax of Rs 128 crore.Consolidated EBITDA margin stood at 18.1%, improving from 17.1% in Q4 FY26. On a standalone basis, revenue from operations was Rs 1,930 crore, EBITDA stood at Rs 199 crore and PAT was Rs 39 crore, with an EBITDA margin of 10.3%.The company’s order book stood at Rs 27,691 crore as of 30 June 2026, compared with Rs 28,830 crore as of 31 March 2026. Roads and highways accounted for 17.1% of the order book, irrigation and water ..

Advertisement

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get daily newsletters around different themes from Construction world.

STAY CONNECTED

Advertisement