‘Ban on mining can’t fill empty stomachs’

Murarirao Yeshwantrao Ghorpade, a mining baron and former politician with a reputation for following the rules and regulations, has been residing in Bellary for decades. He has also served the state as its finance minister. In an interview with DNA, Ghorpade talks about Bellary in the olden days and at present.

What was Bellary like before mining turned it into a booming city?
Mining has been going on in the city for over five decades. But recently, leases were granted to small companies who failed to follow the norms. They violated all rules and regulations. Before mining leases were granted, people were into agriculture, garment industry, etc. But over a decade, everything has boiled down to mining. Today, most residents here are directly or indirectly dependant on mining.

What changes in the outlook of the people of Bellary have you seen over the past three decades?
Earlier, parents were not willing to send their children to school. Instead, they were sent to work in different sectors. Now, parents are concerned about educating their children.

Has the political culture changed over the decades?
Those days, there was no link between bureaucrats and politicians. But now, it is very strong. I am not happy with the current political situation in the state, especially in Bellary.
How do you see the environment before and after mining?
Environment is polluted due to the improper steps taken by some mining companies. The area surrounding Sandur was greener those days.

Do you think vanishing greenery was the main reason for the mining ban?
Most companies failed to compensate the government in afforestation. Bellary has 11,000 hectares of mining area. About 40 million tonnes of iron ore has been taken out. As many firms did nothing to compensate for the loss of greenery, officials sat quietly. I’m happy that  Supreme Court has taken some interest.

How do you view the ban on mining?
The ban alone will not stop the irregularities in mining activity in Bellary. The mistakes were made in the issuance of mining leases without briefing companies on the rules to be followed. The state administration failed in monitoring the mining activities.

Why do you still oppose the mining ban?
The local workers are the ultimate sufferers of the ban as they are dependant on mining companies for their living. So instead of a ban on mining, what we need is a proper administration.

What are the norms mining companies have to follow?
The ban on mining came because of irregularities, corruption and also environmental issues. When mining lease is granted to a company over 100 hectares, the government should set a condition whereby the firm helps it in greening over 100 hectares elsewhere. If the cost of greening 100 hectares is, say, `9 lakh, the firm should pay the same amount to the government as compensation.
 
Did officials make mistakes while giving them mining leases?
Yes, they made mistakes. Leases were granted over a small area. But they gave permission to mine millions of tones of iron ore. This was wrong. When the officials themselves are wrong, how can anyone expect such mining activity to be legal?

Has your company followed the rules?
We, in Sandur Manganese and iron ores, have always followed it. We have the lease to mine in 2,000 hectares. Recently, we gave 150 hectares for afforestation. Over 50 years, we’ve followed all the norms and we’ve a reputation for that. We paid `1.13 crore as compensation to the government. Though our leases area was 2,000 hectares, we carried mining activity only in 1,750 hectares. The remaining 250 hectares of forest is left alone.

How can illegal mining be stopped?
The government should take more care for environment and make use of GPS to track trucks carrying illegal iron ore. The administration should be clean and mining companies should export only that much ore which is permitted.