Kudremukh Iron Ore Company Ltd (KIOCL) will be kickstarting its new innings in mining iron ore in Tumkur district next year.
The company, which got an in-principle approval from the Centre and Karnataka governments last month, on Monday said it has opened a project office at Chikkanayakanahalli taluk in Tumkur district.
According to company officials, the mines, spread over 116.55 hectares is expected to have reserves of 10 mn tonnes. This 100 per cent export-oriented firm’s search for an alternate mine was precipitated after the Supreme Court ordered the company from mining in the pristine Western Ghats of Kudremukh nearly four years ago.
Company officials said a few clearances such as the ones from forest department, environment clearance, are still pending and it hoped to get it cleared at the earliest.
KIOCL had earlier zeroed in on the Ramanadurg mines in Bellary district, but the same has been caught in legal tangle.