"Panna Mines to Resume Diamond Mining Operations in Mid-November"

The Steel Ministry has postponed the anticipated reopening of commercial operations at the diamond mines in Panna, Madhya Pradesh, to mid-November, pending necessary clearances. These mines are under the ownership of NMDC Ltd, a CPSE (Central Public Sector Enterprise) overseen by the Ministry.

Initial plans had aimed for the mines to become operational by July. However, several factors, including environmental clearances and their potential impact on the prey base and tiger population in the Panna reserves, necessitated further consideration.

According to an internal memo obtained by BusinessLine, the Steel Ministry has set a tentative date of November 15 for receiving a No Objection Certificate (NoC), with production slated to commence on the same day. This delay allows time for all regulatory requirements to be met and environmental concerns to be addressed before diamond mining operations can resume.

HBL