Companies barred from exploiting forest land because of the government ban on deforestation, now have a window of opportunity. The Union ministry of environment and forest has decided to accept successfully afforested land in lieu of forest lands to be used for industrial purposes. The exceptional move made to facilitate mining projects of a Madhya Pradesh based company, for its iron-ore project in Rajnangaon, could open up similar possibilities for several other industurial houses in the manufacturing sector, particularly in mining and paper industry, that have been languishing for want of similar clearances.