India: JK Lakshmi to expand Rajasthan mine

JK Lakshmi Cement has received environmental clearance for expansion of its limestone mine output in Rajasthan, entailing an investment of INR1.20bn (US$17.94m). The mined limestone will be supplied to a cement plant in Sirohi, says India Infoline news service.

"The Environment Ministry has examined the proposal of JK Lakshmi Cement and granted the environment clearance for expansion of its limestone mine in Rajasthan," a senior government official said.
 
The company's proposal is to enhance the production capacity of its limestone mine located in Sirohi district from 8Mta to 13Mta. According to the proposal, 43,333tpd of limestone and 12,233t of waste would be handled. The limestone produced from the mine face wold be transported to crushers to be installed within the lease area via dumpers, while waster would be transported to an earmarked dump site. Crushed limestone will be further sent to the cement plant via cover conveyor belt, requiring no local transport infrastructure. Water would be sourced from West Banas dam.
 
However, the company has not obtained the necessary permission from the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) for intersecting the ground water table, so it has been asked to obtain the recommendations of CGWA and carry out a detailed hydro-geological study.