The Indian Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) recently approved Lloyd's Metal and Energy Limited (LMEL) to increase the annual iron ore production capacity of the Surjagarh mine in Maharashtra from 10 million tons to 26 million tons. This expansion application was submitted shortly after the approval of its ore washing plant project. The ore washing plant aims to improve the quality of ore to meet the needs of the steel industry, but it has previously sparked environmental controversies due to the logging of over 100000 trees and the clearing of 900 hectares of forest.

Due to the mining site being located in the Bhamragad protected forest, which serves as an important ecological corridor, the Expert Assessment Committee (EAC) of the Indian Ministry of Environment specifically pointed out the need for wildlife conservation measures and required LMEL to strictly comply with environmental and safety regulations. The ecological impact of the previous ore washing plant project has sparked public discussions on the balance between mineral development and environmental protection. This expansion approval once again focuses on the contradiction between resource development and ecological protection. (This article is from the official website of Jian Dao www.seetao.com. Reproduction without permission is prohibited, otherwise it will be prosecuted. Please indicate Jian Dao website+original link when reprinting.) Jian Dao website strategy column editor/Wu Juan