Photo: Gokarna Dayal/TRN The iron mine at Ballekana in Sigash Rural Municipality-1, Baitadi.
By Gokarna Dayal, Baitadi, Sept. 20: Three iron mines with significant potential in Baitadi, a hill district of Sudurpaschim Province, remain undeveloped due to the lack of excavation.
An iron deposit has been identified at Ballekana in Sugarkhaal, Sigash Rural Municipality-1, but excavation has yet to begin. Shubham Minerals Pvt. Ltd., after obtaining permission from the Department of Mines and Geology, identified a potentially significant iron deposit during preliminary exploration and geological tests. However, the excavation process has not moved forward.
Tests have found up to 38 per cent ‘magnetite iron’ at the site. Magnetite ore is considered an important raw material for modern steel and cement industries. Despite the high potential, the mine has not been excavated, said Ram Chandra Airi, ward chairman of Sigash Rural Municipality-1. He said representatives of the company conducting the exploration have also not been in contact with the ward office recently.
“The mining area falls within a community forest. We understand that the process could not move forward because the Ministry of Forests and Environment has not facilitated the use of the land. Company representatives have also not contacted the ward office recently,” he said.
Airi said there has also been no effective budget allocation or concrete coordination among the local, provincial and federal governments for constructing an access road to the mine and providing electricity.
Iron mines in Purchaudi Municipality and Melauli Municipality are in a similar situation.The Kalidhunga area of Malladehi in Purchaudi Municipality, once known for its high-quality iron, is now completely neglected.
More than 400 historical pits dug in the past to extract iron can still be seen scattered across the area. After the mine was closed, locals began using the pits, some of which are up to 20 metres deep, as dumping sites for dead livestock and waste.
Recalling the past, local resident Harish Saud said, “When the mine was operating, hundreds of people got employment in the village. Some mined iron, some processed it, while others made utensils and agricultural tools. But all that has now become history. After the mine closed, young people were forced to go to India and Gulf countries in search of employment.”
The iron mine at Maharudra in Melauli Municipality is in a similar condition. The mine, which was in operation until around 25 years ago, has remained closed for a long time, causing the local economy to decline, said local resident Chintamani Bhatta.
The Rising Nepal
