Odisha files cases against 110 miners for EP Act violation

OMC, MCL, Tata Steel, Essel Mining in dock

The state forest and environment department has booked 110 mine owners for violation of Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. The miners are facing prosecution for raising ore beyond the approved limits of the Act and also for continuing mining operations without environment clearance.

Earlier, another wing of the government, the state steel and mines department, had imposed Rs 65,000 crore fine on the mine owners for raising ore in excess of the IBM (Indian Bureau of Mines) approved mining plan which violated section 21 (5) of the MMDR (Metals and Minerals Development and Regulation) Act.

“In all, cases have been filed against 110 miners for EP Act violation. This includes 51 cases in Keonjhar district, 47 in Sundergarh, six in Jharsuguda, five in Mayurbhanj and one in Koraput. The cases have been registered by the respective district collectors for iron ore, manganese, dolomite coal and limestone mines. The miners will face penalty and punishment after the cases are disposed off at the sub-divisional judicial magistrate (SDJM) level”, said a senior official at the forest & environment department.

The lessees found guilty of EP Act violation include Gandhamardhan Sponge Iron Pvt Ltd (Putulipani iron ore mines), Kalinga Mining Corporation (Jurudi iron ore mines), Mala Ray mines, Sirajuddin & Company (Balda mines), Bhanja Mines (Inganijharan iron ore mines), Mineral Trading Syndicate (Bhulbeda iron ore mines), Bharat Processing & Mechanical Engineering (Bhadrasahi iron ore mines), Narayani & Sons (Lahupada iron ore mines), Hargovind Pandya (Jajang iron ore mines), Essel Mining (Jhiling Langalota mines-Barbil) and T B Lal (Kasia iron ore mines). Other miners like Tata Steel, state owned Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC), Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd (MCL), KJS Ahluwalia and Rungta Sons also figure in the violators’ list.

The state government has filed cases against the offenders by invoking powers under Section 19 of the EP Act. Under this Act, a district collector is empowered to take cognizance of the offence and initiate legal action.

The Union ministry of environment & forests (MoEF) had decided that in all such cases involving violation of the EP Act, application of miners for environment clearance will be taken up for consideration only after the state government concerned has initiated credible action on the violation and evidence is provided to the ministry regarding the action taken.