The Environment Ministry’s Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) has declined final Stage-II approval for Hindalco Industries’s bauxite mining project in Kolhapur, Maharashtra, citing its location within the Western Ghats’ eco-sensitive areas (ESA).

The proposal also faces hurdles as no valid mining lease currently exists, and the site was declared a conservation reserve in March 2021, home to elephants, leopards, tigers, and Indian gaur. The mine had earlier received in-principle forest clearance in 2009 and environmental clearance in 2014, but delays arose as Hindalco failed to secure the Rights of Forest Resources certificate. The company has not initiated mining operations yet.

At its July 30 meeting, the FAC highlighted lease validity issues, ESA prohibitions, and conservation reserve status as reasons for withholding approval. The minutes stated, quote, “the proposal … cannot be considered at this stage.” The 2024 draft notification on Western Ghats prohibits all mining in ESAs, mandating closure of existing mines upon lease expiry. While Maharashtra argued Hindalco’s proposal predated ESA notifications, the Centre maintained otherwise.