MOIL has entered a tripartite memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Madhya Pradesh government and the Madhya Pradesh State Mining Corporation (MPSMCL) to explore the options of manganese ore mining in four districts of the state.
The company has signed a tripartite MoU to explore the possibilities of manganese ore mining in Balaghat, Jabalpur, Jhabua, and Chhindwara districts.
MOIL has carried out detailed remote sensing studies with the help of the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) ISRO, Hyderabad, in order to identify the manganese-bearing areas.
It has also carried out extensive fieldwork, followed by geological mapping, sampling and their petrological and chemical analysis for delineation of manganese ore-bearing areas in the site specified by NRSC.
The company has also requested to the state government for reservation of the area. Accordingly, the Madhya Pradesh government has reserved 850 sq km and 487 sq km areas in Balaghat and Chhindwara districts respectively, under Rule 67 (1) of the Mineral (Other than Atomic and Hydrocarbon Energy) Mineral Concession Rules, 2016 to carry out exploration work.
This will enable MOIL to take up exploration projects in the reserved areas of Balaghat and Chhindwara districts. Applications for Jabalpur and Jabua are in process.
The company owns and operates 11 mines in the states of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.
