Vedanta violated govt clearances: report

Environment panel claims the company started work in non-forest areas without necessary sanctions.

A committee set up by the Union ministry of environment and forests has indicted the Orissa Mining Corporation and the Sterlite-Vedanta group for infringing the rights of the tribal population of Lanjigarh. The report also said the promoters of the bauxite mining project have violated the forest rights Act and had started work without obtaining necessary government clearances.

"When land was acquired for the project the villagers were promised jobs. Now, these people have not only lost their lands but have no access to jobs. To add to their woes, they are constantly exposed to pollutants," Usha Ramanathan, a legal expert from the Centre for Study of Developing Societies, said in the report, submitted to the ministry on Friday.

Environment minister Jairam Ramesh said there were clear violations of the forest rights Act. According to law, the company should have obtained clearances to work both in the forest and non-forest areas of the project, before they could start work. However, they have already started work in the non-forest areas in spite of the fact that they do not have the necessary sanctions to work in forest areas.

The report, that was prepared following a site inspection by Ramanathan and two forest officials, gives details of the impact of the project on the livelihood and deteriorating health of the tribal population — Dongriya and Kutia Kond — and the increasing pollution they are exposed to. "This is a disturbing state of affairs and needs to be checked if the neutrality of the state is to be maintained," she said in her 37-page report.

"The decision for industrialisation was based on improving the conditions of the people of the region, However, the effect of land loss, unemployment and failing health due to pollution cannot be treated lightly. More so, because these are villages populated by scheduled castes and scheduled tribes."

Ramanathan also questioned the role of government officials in allowing the companies to function the way they did. "There have been reported instances of a government department receiving material assistance from VAL (Vedanta Alumina Ltd). This could possibly influence the neutrality of the concerned department. For example, two additional rooms have been constructed in the BDO's office in Viswanathpur, and furnished by VAL, as a resting place for the collector when he travels on duty."

Ramanathan also said the companies were in violation of the Supreme Court directives. "We were not informed of the presence of any representative of SIIL, nor did we meet anyone who was introduced as an official of SIIL at any point in time during the visit. This was violative of the apex court directions."

The Supreme Court in its  order dated November 23, 2007, had refused to clear Vedanta Alumina's proposal to mine bauxite but said it would consider fresh proposal by Vedanta's Indian unit Sterlite.

Dongria Konds, who are part of the population from the over 200 villages of the region, told Ramanathan: "Mining activities will crowd our surroundings with people who know nothing about us or how we live. The wildlife has already been affected. Further decline to the wildlife will affect our lives. Our medicinal plants, fruits and roots will be destroyed with the conveyor belt passing through our territory. The 'dongar' where we worship our Niyamaraja will be dug up and blasted."

"The condition of the villagers in Bandhaguda village, which borders the plant, is not very different. We were told that they too had resisted acquisition and eviction, had lost their agricultural land to the acquisition, and have no means of making a living," said Ramanathan.