Nalco gets govt nod for new bauxite mine

State-run National Aluminium Co Ltd (Nalco) has got an approval for a new bauxite mining lease in eastern India. The new mine in Potangi, a few kilometres from Nalco's existing mine in Orissa, is estimated to have bauxite reserves of over 70 million tonnes, according to Orissa's steel and mines secretary, A.M.R. Dalwai. Nalco would need the clearance from the government after which operations could take 3-5 years to begin. 
Nalco is India's third-largest aluminium maker that also exports alumina and aluminium via global tenders. It currently produces 4.8 million tonnes of bauxite annually from its mine in Panchpatmalli. It was very necessary to have Potangi, since the Panchpatmalli mine could last only for the next 20 to 25 years. 
In September last year, Nalco, which produced 361,262 tonnes of aluminium in 2008/09, had got the central government's nod to explore new mines in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh state, estimated to have bauxite reserves of 85 million tonnes. It was also looking for 50 million to 60 million tonnes of bauxite deposits in the western state of Maharashtra.