NEWS

In case of another approval being taken back because of environment issues, Indian authorities have overturned an approval given to Lafarge for setting up unit in North India.

The French cement company and one of the largest one in the world was to set up a cement plant with a cost of $200 million.



The approval was taken aback by the 'The National Environment Appellate Authority' stating that the cement plant if set up will seriously hamper the economy and environment of the state of Himachal Pradesh.

Lafarge was to start unit in Mandi district which us 100 kilometers away from Shimla. The panel said that after studying the whole process they came to know that the consent for the plant was given by only 16 of the 381 landowners who are going to lose their land for the unit.

This is like "dispossession, impoverishment and trauma to locals", said the panel.

Approval for setting up of unit was given in 2006 and involves starting of a cement plant and also usage of 3 million tons of limestone of the area.