Mineowners Want Need For Approvals Under Conservation Act Waived

The Federation of Mining Associations of Rajasthan has approached the Supreme Court seeking a directive to the Centre not to insist on mine owners obtaining permission under the forest conservation acts for mining in revenue land leased out for the purpose before the areas were notified as protected forests.

The federation pleaded before the apex court to direct the Centre not to insist on obtaining permission also in cases of lease granted or renewed before October 25, 1980, which are still continuing.

It also urged the court to clarify the latters interim order of December 12, 1996, banning all non-forest activities in forest areas without the Centres permission.

 

The mine owners body also sought permission for mining in forest areas already broken up or cleared so long as they do not involve further felling of trees, federation secretary general A S Mathur said here yesterday.

The body sought permission to continue exploration and survey of minerals in forest areas in a manner which does not involve cutting and felling of trees.

Mathur said the process of obtaining the Centres approval under the Forest Conservation Act was so long and tedious that small mine owners were finding it very difficult to get the permission. He said a problem had arisen in the state where mining areas were out side the forest land but the approach roads were passing through forest areas.

Forest officials were hampering movement of minerals on these roads virtually locking the mine areas, he alleged. Besides, he said, there was no clear demarcation of forest areas in records and that state forest officials were even stopping mining in areas which had been found unsuitable by their own department for plantation or afforestation.

Mathur said the federation was pleading with the Centre to differentiate mining and other non-forest activities in forest areas because mining activities are limited to a certain period in the area and do not cause complete deforestation unlike other activities.

Denying the charge leveled by environmentalists that mining caused damage to forests, Mathur said that only a small percentage of forest area was being affected by mining, asserting that forests coverage was declining due to other non-forest activities, including felling of trees.