The Iron Heart of Gadchiroli: A Mining Project Takes Root

The Forest Advisory Committee has granted in-principle approval for a private mining project in Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli district—an area long affected by Naxalite insurgency.

The proposed ₹250 crore project aims to establish a beneficiation plant for extracting hematite and quartzite, requiring the diversion of 2,315 acres of dense forest. The site lies within a critical tiger corridor and the project is expected to involve the felling of approximately 1.23 lakh trees. The Maharashtra government approved the project at the state level in 2024, framing it as a strategic move to boost regional development.

Although it has received clearance from the Forest Advisory Committee under the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the project still awaits final approval from the National Board for Wildlife due to its location within a designated wildlife corridor.

A comparable example is the Surjagarh mining project, which is currently operational and has contributed to local development, increased state revenue, enhanced security presence, and provided employment to around 3,500 people.

News by Rahul Yelligetti.