New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday rejected
the plea of private miners to lift its ban on mining in
Bellary district of Karnataka saying the "profit was not
important but the balancing of the right of clean environment
is".
A special forest bench headed by the Chief Justice SH
Kapadia rejected the plea of the Federation of Indian Mining
Industries (FIMI) and asked them to co-operate with the Indian
Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) which will
prepare a report by conducting a macro-level Environment
Impact Assessment.
The bench was not impressed by the submission of senior
advocate Dushyant Dave that the miners and the steel industry
would suffer a loss.
"Profit is not important but balancing the right of clean
environment under Article 21 is," said the bench.
The bench, which today allowed National Mineral
Development Corporation to allow mining in two of its mines in
Bellary district, asked the private companies to get their
ores extracted by the PSU.
This was opposed by FIMI saying "it would be like
nationalisation of our mines. Why would they mine in our
area," he said.
Dave said the apex court was differentiating between
private and government firms."How can you allow someone to
mine in the same region and not others"?
On the issue of the mining in the forest, Dave said it
was a global phenomenon.
"Globally mines are in forests, even here also. By that
account, mining in Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Orissa should
stop," he said.
However, the apex court said it was only a temporary
measure and it was going only by law and it would not allow
any mining without mandatory EIA.
PTI
