UltraTech mine plan in Chhattisgarh lands in troubled water

The state cancelled the NOC issued to the mine owing to the presence of a reservoir in the mining area

The Chhattisgarh government has cancelled a no objection certificate (NoC) to UltraTech Cement for a limestone mine in Raipur district. has come under the scanner as the state government on Tuesday announced to cancel the  granted to the company required to commission the operation.

The mine is interlinked with the company’s integrated cement plant, located in neighbouring Balodabazar district.

The 1,700-acre mine with production capacity of four million tonnes per annum is spread over Murra, Mohrenga and Math villages. A reservoir, constructed in 1904, falls in the mining area and the company had got an NoC due to this. The issue was raised in the Chhattisgarh’s legislative assembly.

Chhattisgarh Minister for Water Resources Brijmohan Agrawal admitted in the House that the catchment area of the reservoir would be severely affected and in turn would also hamper the irrigation in the area. “The department will cancel the NoC granted to the UltraTech Cement's and a fresh survey will be conducted to examine the issues raised by the members,” Agrawal said.

The department had granted the conditional NoC to the company on January 5, 2009.  The development had cast shadow over UltraTech's plan. The firm had proposed the project in order to meet the requirement of limestone for the manufacturing of cement.