Meghalaya tribal council moves SC for Lafarge project

The traditional tribal village council (Dorbar) of Nongtrai village in East Khasi Hills in Meghalaya, where the French cement giant Lafarge’s stalled limestone mining project to feed its cement plant in Bangladesh is situated, has moved Supreme Court in support of the mining project.

The recent development assumes significance since it was some villagers from Nongtrai village, and an NGO – Shella Action Committee, which dragged Lafarge Umiam Mining Pvt Ltd (LUMPL), to the court in 2007.

Though the Supreme Court had, in November 2007, granted permission to LUMPL to mine limestone in Meghalaya in February 2010 after hearing a petition by 21 local tribals and the Shella Action Committee, the apex court overturned its previous order and stayed the mining project of Lafarge.

On 24 March, though the Union government moved the apex court and made a plea for lifting the ban, citing international commitments and diplomatic relations with Bangladesh, since limestone from Meghalaya will feed a cement plant in the neighbouring country, the Supreme Court turned down the plea and asked the company to get a fresh environment impact assessment (EIA) done.

The Dorbar yesterday filed a counter affidavit in the Supreme Court to counter the claims of the Shella Action Committee. The affidavit stated that the advent of Lafarge into the area had opened up many employment opportunities, besides other benefits and assistance, village headman BL Lyngdoh said.

Lyngdoh said that since the land, where mining project is situated, belong to Nongtrai Village Dorbar, it was the Dorbar to democratically decide whether to let Lafarge mine limestone in the area.

“The project has not resulted in diversion of agricultural land. No cultivation is possible in the mining area due to the rocky nature of the soil. The Shella Action Committee does not represent the native people of the area. They are not even residents of the area,” said the Dorbar in its counter affidavit.

Lyngdoh said “vested groups”, which comprised exporters whose business interests would be affected by the Lafarge project, filed the application before the Supreme Court opposing the mining project.

LUMPL is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lafarge Surma Cement Ltd (LSCL), which operates a $250 million cement plant at Chhatak, in Sunamganj, Bangladesh. LSCL is a joint venture between Lafarge and Cementos Molins, a Spanish company.

The cement plant is dependent on limestone supplies from East Khasi Hills in Meghalaya.

From 2006 till the mining project was stalled by the Supreme Court, limestone from Meghalaya fed the Chhatak cement plant. A 17-km long conveyor belt carried limestone from the mining site in Meghalaya to the cement plant in Bangladesh.