Public hearing on ore extraction held

Joda: A public hearing on ore extraction from Tiringpahar iron and Manganese mine of Tata Steel Limited was held at Gurda under Balada Panchayat in Keonjhar district on Saturday.

The proposed expansion of the 169-hectare mine will increase ore production from 0.85 lakh tonnes to 5.38 lakh tonnes per annum, including new iron ore production of 6.889 lakh tonnes and additional 41.62 lakh tonnes of overburden production per annum.

Additional District Collector Jadumani Mahala presided over the meeting in the presence of Prasant Kar, Regional Officer, State Pollution Control Board. Residents of the areas, who will be affected by the expansion, expressed their support for the project by demanding a new hospital, creation of new forests, health services and employment for locals.