NMDC Ltd, an Indian public sector mining giant is seeking permission to extend mining activities at the Panna diamond mines in Madhya Pradesh, India till at least 2020, the company’s Chairman and Managing Director Narendra Kothari said in a media interview yesterday.

The world famous Panna mine, in the same region where diamonds were first discovered many centuries ago, had been directed by a Supreme Court panel to shut down production by June 2016 due to ecological concerns and  because of its proximity to the Panna Tiger Reserve. Kothari said that the company would soon approach the Court seeking an extension till at least 2020 after assuring them that there would be no harm to the environment.

Kothari also said that there are almost a million carats of good quality diamonds available there, and the central and state governments support the miner’s initiatives to get them out of the ground.

NMDC has also applied for three to four prospecting licences in districts near Panna, Kothari said, adding that exploration work would commence once permissions are received.