None of the mines in Bellary district stuck to the approved mining plan until the Supreme Court banned all mining activities in Bellary district. Unscientific mining caused environmental devastation
Photographs by M Suchitra
A ravaged hill. Forest cover is cleared for taking the iron ore deposits. In Bellary about 9500 hectares of forest is under mining
Photographs By: K R Vinayan
NMDC’s mine outside Kamtur village. The mine falls under Category B, which has encroached forest for dumping waste
Photographs by M Suchitra
A huge heap of iron ore lumps in one of the mines in Sandur taluk. Ore will be in the form of lumps or fines (powder form)
Photographs by M Suchitra
A ravaged hilltop in Sandur taluk. Sandur was the nerve centre of illegal mining in Bellary district until two years ago. Streams were polluted by mining
Photograps By: K R Vinayan
Despite drought, farmers in Sandur valley had bumper harvest of onion this year. A group of farm hands cleaning and putting onions into the plastic bags. During the mining boom many farmers in Sandur had leased out their lands for stocking iron ore
Photographs by M Suchitra
Heaps of iron ore in B Kumar Gowda mine. The mine has resumed operation recently after the ban
Photographs by M Suchitra