Unchecked mining to hurt Saranda's progress: Activists

Ranchi: Once hailed as India's green steel forest, the Saranda region of West Singhbhum is showing signs of slow ecological recovery. However, experts and activists believe this progress could reverse if unchecked mining continues to scar the land.

Speaking at a seminar on Changing Landscape of Saranda on Sunday, West Jamshedpur MLA and Saranda Bachao Abhiyan convenor Saryu Roy, said, "We can finally see signs of change in Saranda. But the forest suffered massive degradation over the past two decades due to indiscriminate mining leases and tree felling. Even those who had never heard of mining applied for leases when metal trading was liberalized in the early 2000s."

Justice (Retd) S N Pathak, who played a key legal role in the initial PIL filed against unregulated mining in Saranda, recalled how the forest once stood as a cultural and ecological stronghold. He said, "Saranda isn't just a forest, it's a legacy safeguarded for generations by the Ho, Munda, and Santhal communities. Its destruction isn't merely environmental loss; it's cultural erasure."

He stressed that true development must integrate ecological balance, not override it, and added that the high court had earlier recognised violations of forest conservation laws and the displacement of tribal rights as grave concerns. Housing 700 Hills, Saranda is more than a dense canopy of sal trees, it is Jharkhand's ecological crown. With 13 hills rising above 600 feet and two rivers, Koina and Karo, originating within its range, the forest has historically supported rich biodiversity and sustained indigenous communities for generations.

However, decades of iron ore mining, deforestation, and inadequate regulation have left Saranda struggling. Large mining overburdens, particularly in lease areas under Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL), have altered the forest's topography.