Not an easy road to devpt of Gadchiroli via Surjagarh
   Date :23-Aug-2023

Gadchiroli via Surjagarh
 
By Kartik Lokhande :
 
As one heads towards village Hedari in Etapalli taluka, one starts realising how the iron ore mining at Surjagarh hills is changing the situation in Gadchiroli district. Iron red dust deposited on the roadside trees speaks of heavy transport of the ore from the mines to stockyard. One cannot miss the increase in transport and bold movement of the villagers even at night. However, this change has not been an easy one. For, before the iron red colour dominated the road routes in this part of Gadchiroli district, Red terror of Maoists ailed the industrial development of the easternmost district of Maharashtra. Before that, sheer apathy ruled the roost. Even before that, during the British Raj, the then Chanda district (which Gadchiroli was a part of) had missed the golden opportunity of becoming the hub of India’s steel revolution with Surjagarh hills at the centre of activity.
 
As far as iron ore mining at Surjagarh hills is concerned, it has a fairly recent history. After many unsuccessful efforts, in 2007, the mining lease was initially granted for 20 years to Lloyds Metals & Energy Limited (LMEL). The lease was granted over an area of 348.09 Ha on April 13, 2007 and executed on May 3, 2007. The company commenced its operations in 2011. However, the operations were in the shadow of Maoist terrorism since the outlaws were opposed to mining. While some potential for Gadchiroli’s development was visible on the horizon, it hit a major setback. In June 2013, the Maoists killed Jaspal Singh Dhillon, Vice-President (Mines), Lloyd Steel; Mallikarjun Reddy of Hemlata Minerals which mined iron ore for Lloyd Steel; and Raju Sadmake of Surjagarh. Fear affected the iron ore mining for a few years.
 
In 2016, the company suffered huge loss on account of the Maoists setting afire 80 vehicles. But, by that time, the Government and the company both had made up their mind to continue with the operations. LMEL got consent to operate from Maharashtra Pollution Control Board in November 2021. In December 2021, a supplementary lease deed for extension of lease period for the Surjagarh Iron Ore Mine was granted to LMEL. Meanwhile, in 2020, Thriveni Earthmovers Pvt Ltd (TEPL) and LMEL incorporated a joint venture company Thriveni Lloyds Mining. Thriveni started operations as mine developer and operator (MDO), which is very much visible on roadside sign-boards on the transport route from Surjagarh to Ashti.
 
As per the LMEL records dating back to July 2022, when it prepared an executive summary of draft environmental impact assessment report for expansion of production capacity from 3 million metric tonnes per annum (MTPA) to 10 MTPA, it had lease over 348.09 Ha for 50 years. Its website states that for this ‘there is no premium to be paid over the life of the mine’. TEPL is running mining activities since 2021. The proven reserves at the mine in 1970s were estimated to be 73.6 million metric tonnes. However, a recent study indicated that the actual reserves were far greater, ‘in the range of 180 million metric tonnes, with an additional 550 million metric tonnes of Banded Hematite Quartz’. As per company’s records, in 2022-23, it evacuated approximately 3 MTPA from the mines. On March 10, 2023, it got permit to excavate up to 10 MTPA. It has developed a stockyard near Allapalli. The approval to sell iron ore across India and to export globally as well, which was earlier restricted to only the State of Maharashtra, has come in handy for the company. Also, the LMEL’s Surjagarh iron ore mine has received 5-Star rating from the Indian Bureau of Mines.
 
While the excavation of iron ore from the Surjagarh mines has ushered in a new era of change for Gadchiroli district, certain problems also have raised their head. With increased transport to never-before extent in the stretch from the mines to the stockyard, some road accidents have taken place. These accidents led to villagers blocking the path of the trucks transporting iron ore. There are truck plazas and stockyards on the roadside at different locations. The transport has increased red dust, raising pollution concerns. Near Ashti, one can see a few kilometers long queue of clients’ trucks waiting for their turn to collect iron ore from the biggest stockyard. Given the fact that roads in Gadchiroli district are not too wide at all the places, the increased transport calls for widening of roads on war footing. At some places, as the villagers pointed out, the road condition is bad, especially near Allapalli. Though the company has constructed some speed-breakers near some villages, to soothe the nerves of the villagers, they have been demanding road condition to improve.
 
Further, there are apprehensions in a section of villagers regarding allotment of further iron ore mines in Surjagarh region. An agitation is going on at Todgatta for more than 150 days now. Interestingly, the agitation is going on in an area beyond the presently operative mine. It has not been an easy road to starting iron ore mining and building promise of long-awaited industrialisation in Maoist-affected Gadchiroli district. Challenges were, and are, many but changes are happening…

Then, Lohara or Surjagarh would have been Jamshedpur
 

J N tata
 
HAD there been proper connectivity and co-operation from the erstwhile British Raj, India’s first steel city might have come up at Lohara or Surjagarh in present-day Gadchiroli district. For, the legendary Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata had spent years exploring the opportunity in the then Chanda district. As per the historical records cited by elected representatives during the debates on Gadchiroli’s development in Maharashtra Legislature sessions, Jamsetji Tata had scouted the region around 125 years ago and had wanted to start his ambitious steel plant on the foundation of iron ore deposits at Lohara and nearby areas. In fact, he had travelled to Nagpur, and had later sent his son Dorabji Tata to tour the region and find iron ore reserves with an intention to use coal from Warora to make steel, and had asked a British officer to extend the railway line to area near the location of the possible iron ore mine.
 
Sadly, the then Government did not heed to his demand for a railway line for transport of iron ore. So, the Tatas went on to explore other regions including Dalli Rajhara and finally settled at Sakchi, where the country’s first steel plant was set up. Today, Sakchi is known as Jamshedpur in honour of J N Tata. However, to this day, the railway line has not reached even the headquarters of Gadchiroli district, which got separated from Chandrapur on August 26, 1982. If the railway line has not reached Gadchiroli, the rail connectivity up to the southeastern part of Etapalli tehsil where Surjagarh hills are located, is still a dream waiting to be realised though India is celebrating 76th year of Independence from the British Raj.