Green lobby welcomes rejection of environment clearance to Vedanta

The government's decision to reject Vedanta's proposed $1.7 billion bauxite mining project in Orissa has been hailed by green lobby terming it as a great step towards people's empowerment and saving pristine wildlife in the eco-fragile Niyamgiri Hills.

"It's a great step foward in people's empowerment. I hope they (tribal communities in the region) would be able to carve out their own destiny rather than being pushed out by external forces," Wildlife expert Belinda Wright said.

She said the case highlights the need to ensure people's rights before any developmental project is taken up. 

Echoing similar view, Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) said, "This is certainly a decision which goes in favour of the poor and marginalised people of Orissa -- a manifestation of "environmentalism of the poor". 

It minced no words at the Vedanta saying "it was appalled at the way the multi-billion dollar firm had been violating all laws," an allegation outrightly dismissed by the UK-based company.

"It is not green lobby which is fighting development, but it is the poor tribals who are saying that this development is coming on top of our back and is making us even more poorer," the CSE led by environmentalist Sunita Narain said.

Supreme Court advocate Ritwick Dutta who is fighting a case against the company in a green tribunal on behalf of the local tribals strongly felt that the government officials too should be held responsible whenever such violations are noted.

"The government did the right thing by rejecting the environmental clearance to the proposed mining project of Orissa Mining Corporation for Vedanta's Alumina Refinery. But the officials should also be prosecuted to send a stern message to the violators," he said.

Dutta said the National Environment Appellate Authority (NEAA) is also likely to pronounce the order in the case filed by locals in Niyamgiri alleging that due environmental process was not followed during the in-principle approval to the company.

Agreeing with Dutta, Shankar Gopalakrishnan from National Platform Campaign for Survival and Dignity said the government is still clearing many projects "without ensuring protection of Forest Rights Act". 

"Nevertheless, rejection to Vedanta project in Orissa is a significant and synbolic step," he added.

The environment ministry had yesterday announced its decision to reject green clearance to Vedanta's project in Orissa on grounds of serious violation of forest laws. 

"There has been a very serious violation of Environment Protection Act, Forest Conservation and Rights Acts by the Orissa Government and Vedanta's proposed bauxite mining in the Niyamgiri Hills," environment minister Jairam Ramesh had said while rejecting clearance.

The decision was based on NC Saxena panel report which had pointed out that extracting bauxite from the Niyamgiri Hills would not only displace locals but also threaten the endangered wildlife there. It also noted that the raw materials availability was sufficient only for four years.