Hind Copper key mine plan gets environment nod

Hindustan Copper Ltd, the country’s sole miner of the metal, has received environmental clearance for its flagship project of developing an underground mine at Malanjkhand in Madhya Pradesh, where it already has an open cast mine.

The project would help Hindustan Copper to scale up production at Malanjkhand mine from 2 million tonne to 5 million tonne a year at a cost of Rs 1,857 crore.

“The environmental clearance for the Malanjkhand underground project has been received. The work on the site will commence after receiving clearance from the standing committee of the National Wildlife Board, process of which is underway. The state government has recommended the proposal and it is being forwarded to the central government,” chairman-cum-managing director K D Diwan said.

Hindustan Copper is investing close to Rs 3,435 crore to boost its copper ore output capacity from the present 3.66 million tonne to 12.41 million tonne by expanding existing mines including Malanjkhand, Khetri, Kolihan and Surda, and reopening closed Kendadih and Rakha mines, all by fiscal 2017-18.

For the current fiscal, the company plans to invest Rs 688 crore, of which Rs 98 crore has been invested, Diwan said.

The company has applied for mining licences in Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Haryana.

“The MP government has granted reconnaissance permit of 580.73 sq km in Balaghat and lease deed has been executed. The company’s efforts in getting permit for exploration of copper deposit in Rajasthan have also met with some success. The Directorate of Mines and Geology has informed that a total area covering 1860.69 sq. km has been recommended for award of permit in the districts of Ajmer, Bhilwada, Pali  Nagur.and  Jaipur,” he said.

Hindustan Copper has floated a tender for extraction of minerals such as gold, silver and also magnetite from over 100 million tonne of rocks and tailings, wastes that is generated from the mining process that has accumulated over several years. “We have selected a technology for extraction of these minerals and had floated an Expression of Interest, to which parties from China and Australia have responded. The tender has been floated which closes on September 30,” Diwan said.