A central green panel has deferred decision on granting environment clearance (EC) to JSW Cement for its Mogla Limestone Mine project in Gulbarga, Karnataka, because the mine lease area is sub-judice.
The proposal is for production of 4.51 million tonnes per annum of limestone-ROM from a mine lease area of 404 hectare in Mogla village in Gulbarga district.
The Expert Advisory Committee (EAC) of the Environment Ministry, which had deferred its decision on the proposal twice in 2016 for want of more details, took up the matter again last month.
"The project proponent informed that the mine area did not have a valid lease and that they had filed a case in the High Court regarding the execution of the lease. The Committee did not consider the proposal as the status of lease was subjudice," as per the minutes of the January 30-31 EAC meeting.
EAC deferred the proposal observing that it can be considered as and when appropriate orders are passed by the High Court, the minutes said.
JSW Cement, which is part of the USD 11-billion JSW Group, is planning to expand its production capacity from 6.8 million tonnes to 17 million tonnes by April 2018.
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