The Indian Supreme Court has extended a ban on mining to two more districts of the southwestern Indian state of Karnataka on Friday, according to Indian media sources. A Supreme Court committee said in its report that there was a loss of forest land due to illegal mining of iron ore on 2,678 hectares in the districts of Tumkur and Chitradurga in Karnataka, which had been witnessing excessive, illegal mining. The Supreme Court said that it would not change its ruling until a proper rehabilitation program is formed.
According to Reuters India, the news that the ban has been extended to the Tumkur and Chitradurga districts has led to fall of more than five percent in the share prices of three top Indian iron ore miners, namely, Sesa Goa, NMDC and JSW Steel.