SC may ban mining in K'taka if environment is degraded

The Supreme court today said that it may ban iron ore mining in the Bellary-Hospet forest region of Karnataka if there was any environment degradation in the area and made it clear that there would be no mining till remedial steps are taken to restore it.

A special forest bench headed by the Chief Justice SH Kapadia said that if "damage has been done on the environment, then till it is restored, mining rights would be suspended".

The bench further asked the court appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC) to find out, "exactly what was happening on the ground irrespective of lease deeds".

Citing the Haryana mining case, where the apex court had banned entire mining in the area of Aravali till the damage is restored, the apex court said that it may apply the same principles in Karnataka also.

"We want a report on this aspect. To what extent environment is damaged. How can it be restored. We are thinking on the lines of the Haryana judgement," the bench said directing the Supreme Court-appointed special panel to look into that aspect.

It further said, "we want to know, whether there is damage to environment or not. Till then stop mining. No one's contractual rights are valid or invalid... That interest can be restored later. If damage is done then it would have to be stopped."

"We are not interested in going on boundary and legality of the mines. Let it be restored, then we would go to mining [aspect]," the apex court said adding,"if there is any input on the environment, then we would stop mining".

During the proceedings, CEC submitted its report before the bench on the status report of 33 mining leases of the state.

Senior advocate Shyam Divan, amicus curiae in this matter, submitted that the a special panel appointed by the apex court had asked to shut 22 mines. However, it did not find any irregularity in seven mines.