No bauxite mining at Niyamgiri yet

Business Standard, 6th August, 2009

The Orissa government has made it clear that mining of bauxite in the Niyamgiri hills in Kalahandi district will not be allowed till all the statutory clearances are obtained.
This is in response to the statement made by the Union environment and forest minister, Jairam Ramesh in the Rajya Sabha that Vedanta group can be prosecuted if it resorts to illegal mining of bauxite in Niyamagiri as the Anil Agarwal controlled firm has been given ‘in principle approval’ only.
He said, the company has only got the in-principle approval for forest diversion and it has not got the full forest clearance. If mining is taking place in Niyamgiri, then it is illegal, he was reported as saying in Rajya Sabha.
When contacted on the issue, the state steel and mines secretary, Ashok Dalwai said, all the protocols in the matter will be followed and no mining activity will be allowed at Niyamgiri till the stage-II forest clearance is obtained and the mining lease (ML) is executed.
It may be noted Anil Agarwal owned Sterlite Industries India Ltd (SIIL) and the Orissa Mining Corporation (OMC) of the state government have formed a joint venture company under the banner of South-West Orissa Bauxite Mining Private Ltd for mining bauxite in the Niyamgiri hills.
“OMC is the lease holder and is a responsible entity, mining will not be allowed till all the statutory clearances are obtained”, Dalwai asserted.
He said, though the leaseholder has got stage-I forest clearance from the Union ministry of environment and forest, it is yet to obtain the stage-II clearance. Stating the project has got the environmental clearance, he, however, pointed out that the mining lease (ML) is yet to be executed.
P K Panda, vice-president (mines), Vedanta Aluminium Ltd.(VAL) said, there is no mining activity on the top of Niyamgiri hill yet. While the environmental clearance has been obtaining for mining at Niyamgiri, the stage-II forest clearance is awaited. Moreover, before start of mining surface rights will have to be obtained from the district collector. Under such circumstances it is not possible to start mining at Niyamgiri hills now, he added.