December 02, 2008

Karnataka HC dismisses petition on iron ore mining at Hogrehalli

BL reported Justice N Kumar of the Karnataka High Court dismissed a petition by Siddeshwara International against refusal by the state government to permit mining of iron ore in 12.1 acres of land at Hogrehalli village in Kadur taluk in Chikamagalur district.

Justice Kumar directed the State Government to initiate action against the officials who had granted permission for mining.

The company said that government officials had granted permission for mining in 2005. But the Department of Environment, Forests and Ecology, in 2006, and the State Pollution Control Board, in 2007, had declined to permit it to go ahead with mining activity.

The department had said that the area was situated in the Western Ghats and that it was near the Bhadra sanctuary and the Vemmedoddi Tiger Reserve.