The Indian government has approved the diversion of forest land to allow Indian miner NMDC Limited to expand iron ore mining capacity at its Bailadila Deposit-II mine in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh, a government official said on Thursday, January 8.
Production capacity to rise to 14.5 million mt per year
Under the approval, around 875 hectares of forest land at Bailadila will be diverted, enabling NMDC to increase annual iron ore production capacity at the mine to 14.50 million mt, up from the current 11.30 million mt.
Bailadila is a forested mountainous region known for its substantial reserves of high-grade iron ore and its distinctive ox-hump-shaped peaks. The Deposit-II mining block holds 558.84 million mt of hematite geological reserves, of which 351.32 million mt are classified as mineable reserves.
The expansion is expected to support NMDC’s long-term production targets and strengthen domestic iron ore supply for India’s steel sector.