Mining in Niyamgiri Hills: Sterlite-OMC move SC
10 Mar 2011
The Orissa Mining Corporation (OMC), the joint venture partner of Vedanta-controlled Sterlite Industries, has moved the Supreme Court against a decision of the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) to deny forest clearance for the vexed bauxite mining project in the Niyamgiri hills.
The OMC is a joint venture partner in this mining project along with Sterlite industries, which is subsidiary concern of Anil Agarwal's London-listed Vedanta.
The MoEF decision has upset the project plans to mine the hills and set up an aluminium refinery in the area. Sterlite industries, the petition says, had asked the state government to allot the alternate site, which has not materialised so far.
The OMC owns the mines in the Niyamgiri hills. The petition said that by the apex court judgment of 21 November 2007 and 8 August 2008, Sterlite Industry was permitted to mine the hills.
The petition said that despite the court's clearance, the MoEF has once again reopened the issue by reversing the clearance to the project. The petition described the MoEF action as ''unique and unprecedented'' as it overturned the apex court clearance.
'The Supreme Court took into account ecological, environmental, wildlife and relief and rehabilitation measures for tribals before giving clearance,' the petition has said.