Excavated land inside KMML for sandalwood cultivation and miyawaki forest
Kerala Minerals and Metals Limited in Kollam | Photo credit: SURESHKUMAR C
The sprawling area of more than 60 acres inside the Kerala Minerals and Metals Limited (KMML) has for years stood as a stark reminder of the environmental costs of industrial progress. It was mined land, an ecological dead zone reduced to a structureless matrix of coarse sandy tailings. The mining of heavy mineral sands has completely stripped the soil of its natural nutrients, turning it into a barren dead zone permanently frozen in time.
But a quiet ecological resurrection is taking place in these barren flats. Through a rigorous step-by-step restoration process, terrain that was once written off as dead continues to breathe life into itself. This ecological revival will hit a major milestone on June 5, when the former wasteland will welcome over a hundred sandalwood seedlings and miyawaki forest as part of its new botanical belt.
This test deviates completely from normal crop cultivation because sandalwood is a unique hemiparasite. Its roots must physically attach to a neighboring host plant to draw water and essential nutrients, as it cannot survive in isolation for long. “This aromatic grove is just one piece of a grander green plan. To facilitate this underground lifeline, we have carefully arranged permanent host plants, including fast-growing moringa trees, to ensure that the tender saplings can make vital root connections,” says T.Karthikeyan, HOD, Mineral Separation Unit, KMML.
In addition to the sandalwood grove, the company is converting another 50 cents of land into a dense Miyawaki forest, while simultaneously planting 5,000 whistling pines to anchor the green belt. The team began the healing process by pouring massive amounts of organic manure, including cow dung, into the loose sand to rebuild the soil’s natural fertility from scratch. “It’s a long-term investment in ecological health, with experts predicting that after a few years of organic management, self-sustaining soil will no longer require regular human attention,” says Mr Karthikeyan.
The foundations for this ecological turnaround began several years ago with experimental farming trials that successfully transformed portions of degraded mining land into productive organic orchards and fields. Early reforestation efforts laid a solid foundation and nearly a hundred coconut saplings were planted over the years. The reclaimed area has recently seen the successful cultivation of Thilarani, a premium sesame variety known for its rich, dark brown seeds.
Today, this once barren area has transformed into a thriving tapestry of agricultural life, hosting fresh vegetable beds, endemic Punna trees and various seasonal crops that actively stabilize and enrich the local ecosystem. This multi-layered growth is part of a broader long-term vision for the region. At the heart of this ecological mission lies the promise to breathe life back into a scarred landscape and hand over a vibrant, thriving ecosystem to the local community. “By 2028, the company expects to completely transform the entire 60-acre area, when the once bare mining site will become a permanent haven of greenery,” he adds.
Published – 02 Jun 2026 19:29 IST