A public hearing was held in Joda, Keonjhar district, about Tata Steel Limited’s plan to extract ore from the Tiringpahar iron and Manganese mine. The mine is currently 169 hectares and produces 0.85 lakh tonnes of ore per year. If the expansion is approved, the mine will increase production to 5.38 lakh tonnes per year, including new iron ore production of 6.889 lakh tonnes and additional overburden production of 41.62 lakh tonnes per year.
The meeting was led by Additional District Collector Jadumani Mahala and attended by Prasant Kar, Regional Officer of the State Pollution Control Board. Local residents who will be affected by the expansion expressed their support for the project and made demands for a new hospital, the creation of new forests, improved health services, and employment opportunities for locals.
