The Indian Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has approved Lloyds Metals and Energy Ltd. (LMEL) to increase its annual production capacity of iron ore at Surjagarh mine in Gadchiroli, Maharashtra, from 10 million tons to 26 million tons.

The expansion application came a few weeks after the company’s ore washing plant project was approved. The ore washing plant can improve the quality of ore, making it more suitable for the steel industry to produce higher-quality steelmaking raw materials. However, the project has cut down more than 100,000 trees and cleared more than 900 hectares of forest, sparking environmental controversy.

Because Surjagarh mine is located in the Bhamragad Reserve Forest, it is an important ecological corridor. The Ministry of Environment's Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) pointed out that this case requires wildlife protection measures and requires the company to strictly abide by environmental protection and safety regulations.