Mangaluru: Rising demand and prices for metals and minerals are driving companies to seek permission for exploration activities across Karnataka, including the coastal districts of Uttara Kannada and Udupi, where large stretches of forest land have been identified for possible mineral surveys.

Across the state, companies have proposed exploration activities covering around 17,460 acres, according to documents. About 11,600 acres — nearly two-thirds of the total area — comprise forest land.

A significant number of the applications have been submitted during the past 10 months, raising concerns over the impact of mineral exploration on forests and other ecologically sensitive landscapes.

The proposed exploration covers minerals including gold, iron, manganese and bauxite. Some of the identified areas fall within the Western Ghats, while others are natural ecosystems whose ecological importance has received greater recognition in recent years.

Nine companies have sought permission for exploration at different stages of the process. The initial stage generally involves geochemical and geophysical surveys to identify potential mineral-bearing zones. Subsequent stages can involve drilling, pitting and trenching to determine the location and depth of mineral deposits.

In Uttara Kannada, a company has sought permission to undertake preliminary exploration for bauxite across 1,087 acres of forest land.

In Byndoor in Udupi district, exploration for bauxite has progressed to a more detailed stage, with a company seeking permission to map deposits across approximately 495 acres.

Bauxite is an important raw material for aluminium production, and its growing commercial value has increased interest in locating new deposits.

Gold exploration accounts for a substantial portion of the forest land covered by the applications. Two companies have sought to explore for gold across approximately 9,200 acres of forest land.

One of the significant proposals is in the Bukkapatna Chinkara Wildlife Sanctuary in Sira taluk of Tumakuru district, where more than 2,100 acres have been identified for gold exploration.

Kundan Care Products Limited has reportedly earmarked Rs 12.28 crore for exploration in the Bukkapatna area. The proposed work includes drilling 82 boreholes, each around 3.7 metres in diameter and extending to a depth of about 189 metres, along with other exploration activities.

Elsewhere, interest in iron and manganese deposits remains high in Ballari and Chitradurga districts.

Environmental activists and experts have cautioned that mineral exploration in natural forests needs to be approached with considerable care, particularly in areas with high biodiversity.

Sreeshaila Aladahalli of Jana Sangrama Parishath said resource extraction should be planned with the interests of future generations in mind.

He said opposition to projects affecting forests is often portrayed as opposition to development, whereas the long-term depletion of natural resources could create consequences that cannot easily be reversed.

Retired IFS officer Punati Sridhar, who had earlier recommended restricting mining in virgin forest areas until mineral resources outside forests are exhausted, stressed the importance of protecting natural forests in the fight against climate change.

He said the ecological value of a natural forest cannot simply be recreated through compensatory afforestation and argued that mineral exploration in forests should be considered only as a last resort.

The growing number of exploration proposals has therefore brought renewed attention to the need for balancing Karnataka’s mineral requirements with the protection of its remaining natural forests and ecologically sensitive landscapes.