When Nature Disposes - History of an Abandoned Township

The Kudremukh mine, one of India's largest, was completely shut down in 2006 after a protracted battle between the company and environmental activists. The township was evacuated, leaving behind a legacy of glory and pride. The story reveals the strange history and fate of the Kudremukh mines.

KIOCL Logo. Image source : Outlook India

Located in the Chikmagalur district of Mudigere taluk in Karnataka, Kudremukh is a small part of the Western Ghats. This area once sought to uphold its pride and grandeur by extolling the charm and beauty of nature.

The name of Karnataka's second highest peak, 'Kudremukh,' means 'face of the horse' in the Kannada language*.* The name of this mountain comes from one of its peaks, which is shaped like a ‘chess knight.’

Those who have been to Kudremukh might recall how lovely the town used to be. Lush landscaping, parks, schools, and office buildings surrounded the town. Most of the township was home to more than 35,000 people, most of whom worked for the controversial Kudremukh Iron Ore Company (KIOCL).

There is a mention of these sections of the Western Ghats in the ancient Indian epic Ramayana. In Ramayana, this verse appears in Kishkindha Kanda Sarga(Chapter 41).

tathā vangān kalingām ca kauśikān ca samaṃtataḥ |

anvīkṣya daṇḍaka araṇyam sa parvata nadī guham || 4-41-11

nadīm godāvarīm caiva sarvam eva anupaśyata |

tathaiva āndhrān ca puṇḍrān ca colān pāṇḍyān keralān || 4-41-12

ayomukhaḥ ca gaṃtavyaḥ parvato dhātu maṇḍitaḥ |

-Kishkindha Kanda ( Sarga 41)

Sugriva, the monkey king, commands his devoted monkey army to look for Sita in the Andhra, Pundra, Chola, Pandya, and Kerala regions. He then directs them to travel to the mineral-rich (*dhātu maṇḍitaḥ)*Ayomukh region. The Ayomukh range, of which Kudremukh is a part, is referred to as the Western Ghats in this context.

Now let us return to the modern context.

The discovery of iron ore in Kudremukh was made in 1913 by P Sampath Iyengar, a renowned geologist from Mysore. Statistics show that the Gangamoola-Aroli region alone has deposits of 300 million tonnes of primary banded magnetite quartzite ore, and that region is only about 20 kilometers from the Kudremukh checkpost.

An idea was proposed and supported by the National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) in 1968 to benefit the people using these mineral deposits. The plan was carried out with the help of several Japanese companies, but it did not last long due to some technical issues.

When Iran stepped forward in 1970, looking for a dependable source of iron for their ambitious domestic steel industry plan, Kudremukh, rich in iron ore, surfaced again as an excellent and ideal location.

This is how the ‘Kudremukh Iron Ore Company Limited’(KIOCL) was established on April 2, 1976, under the Indian Ministry of Steel and Mines. However, the unfortunate political climate in Iran at that time put the project's future in jeopardy. After that, the Indian government initiated the funds and completed the project.

In 1987, the company continued its operations with the new setup of the Pallet plant ( for manufacturing high-grade pallets) in Mangalore. Kudremukh provided the majority of the iron ore used to make the pallets. Kudremukh was India's first mine with a source of iron ore containing 35% of ferrous (Fe). The ore was transported via slurry pipelines through Udupi and Dakshina Kannada.

Kudremukh National Park was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its biodiversity. The mining process lasted nearly three decades. This mining industry employed many people. Slowly this little hamlet was becoming the hotspot of travel enthusiasts.

It wasn't long before nature's wrath became apparent. Continuous mining has been said to have an impact on the natural habitat. Mining generated a massive amount of waste, which settled in nearby bodies of water. Forest areas began to degrade, and the Bhadra River, one of the major rivers in Peninsular India that flowed through the western ghats, became severely contaminated. During the monsoon season, these areas were the most affected. River Bhadra turned red as a result of iron sedimentation and slurry deposition.

The biodiversity of Kudremukh was slowly disappearing.

On December 31, 2005, the Hon. Supreme Court of India issued an order to halt all mining operations in Kudremukh in light of all the studies pertaining to the harmful impacts of mining.KIOCL employees lost employment, and many were moved or forced to choose voluntary retirement.

As the residents began to depart, the township slowly declined to become an abandoned area. Thousands of houses, apartments, schools, banks, shopping centers, hospitals, warehouses, and other facilities were all closed. As of 2006, this section of the Western Ghats became a ghost town, surrounded by dense forests and completely devoid of people. Most places that once had the hustle and bustle of a township now have the dreaded silence. The time has come for nature to acquire the lost place abundantly.