Plea to relax order against Karnataka mining firms rejected

The Supreme Court on Friday rejected the pleas of iron ore companies and related industries to relax the order against their operations in three districts of Karnataka.

The ‘green’ bench, headed by Chief Justice S H Kapadia, maintained the restoration and rehabilitation of the damaged forests should be prioritised before thinking of relaxing the order passed last year. “If we open a slight window, a whole lot of violations take place, and again the matter comes to this court,” the Kapadia said.

The court, while accepting the recommendations of the centrally empowered committee (CEC) appointed by it, clarified it would hear only about restoration and rehabilitation. Though the companies disputed the three categories, according to the degree of damage they had caused to the environment, the court was firm in not going into such controversies.

It clarified the preparation, implementation and monitoring of the research and rehabilitation would be under the supervision of the CEC.