Bengaluru, Mar 29 (IANS): With rising concerns over environmental damage caused by mining, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Monday called for promoting sustainable mining in the state, and directed the Karnataka State Minerals Corporation Limited to formulate an integrated plan for this.

Launching the corporation's golden jubilee celebrations, he stressed on the importance of putting an end to the environmental destruction due to mining. "Plans should be drawn up for judicious use of minerals and restoration of environmental damage in a phased manner over the next 50 years. Mining should be undertaken in a scientific manner avoiding any damage to the environment," he said.

In a first for the country, the Karnataka government allocated Rs 100 crore under the head 'Green Budget' in the state's general budget for 2022-23. This has been done to offset the environmental deficit caused to nature over the years, Bommai said.

"Nature and man are part of the creation of the world. Thanks to modern technology, the mining waste has turned into wealth. Mining has a long history. The earlier generations have preserved the natural wealth for the future generations and it is our duty to maintain the balance and pass it on to the future generations. So we should move towards sustainable mining," he said.