The Pioneer, 28th July, 2008
The Supreme Court on Saturday concluded hearings in a case filed by local people against Vedanta Resources'opencast mine project in the Niyamgiri hills in Kalahandi district.
The Supreme Court, however, did not give a date for delivering the judgment. The court is expected to issue a written order on the "modalities and conditions"under which mining could proceed.
The bauxite is meant to feed the aluminium smelter of Vedanta subsidiary Sterlite Industries there. The court had earlier asked Sterlite to draw up a rehabilitation and environmental protection package as a condition for giving the green light to the mining project.
Sterlite has agreed to pay compensation to tribals displaced by the mine and has promised to spend five per cent of the profits from the bauxite mine and its smelter nearby, on rehabilitation.
Environmentalists and particularly the local Dongria Kondh tribe are of the view that the mining activities will destroy their livelihood and the hill which they worship.
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