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Vedanta flouted forest conservation norms, says report
Source: The Hindu, New Delhi, Mar 13, 2010, Date: , 2010
Vedanta Aluminium has violated forest conservation guidelines and failed
to follow the Forest Rights Act in letter and in spirit at a proposed
bauxite mine project in the Niyamgiri Hills of Orissa, according to a
report submitted by a three-member team to the Union Environment and
Forests Ministry. Following allegations about the project earlier this
year, the Ministry constituted the team — with a forestry official, a
former government wildlife official and an independent sociology expert
— to inspect the site and speak to all stakeholders. Its report was
considered by the Ministry's Forest Advisory Committee on Friday, and
the Orissa government asked to provide an explanation for the
violations, according to Jairam Ramesh, Union Minister of State for
Environment and Forests. The company built an incomplete mine access
road passing through both forest and non-forest areas and constructed 47
pillars for a conveyor corridor before receiving clearance, in violation
of the Forest Conservation Act guidelines, according to a site
inspection by J.K. Tewari, Chief Conservator of Forests. As for
wildlife, Vinod Rishi, former Additional Director-General of the
Wildlife Institute of India, has said the Niyamgiri ecosystem would
recover if no further diversion of forest land for mining is allowed.
She also documents cases of repression of public opinion and dissent by
both the company and local authorities and reports of pollution by
Vedanta's nearby refinery.
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