(IDEX Online) - Operations at India's only industrial mine - located near a tiger reserve - have come to halt.The environmental clearance lease, allowing mining to take place at the Majhgawan mine (pictured), near the town of Panna, in Madhya Pradesh, expired on 31 December 2020.It has been reported that COVID-19 has delayed renewal of the lease and work is not likely to resume for up to six months as a result of wildlife concerns.The mine, estimated to have reserves of 34m carats, belongs to India's state-owned National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) and was operated until 2017 by Rio Tinto.Mining has been halted on several occasions at Majhgawan because of concerns by the National Wildlife Board. It sought to have the mine cease operations by the end of last year.There are around 1,000 licensed artisanal mines in the area, and many more that operate illegally. Majhgawan is the only mine run on industrial scale.