Jayanti acts tough, squashes Sesa Goa's mining plans

On 23 September 2011, Firstpost had mentioned that there was massive public outrage against the Pirna iron ore mine of Sesa Goa (owned by Vedanta).

The Union environment ministry had given an Environmental Clearance (EC) on Vedanta’s claims that there were no wildlife sactuaries, national parks, heritage sites or biosphere reserves within 10 km of the mining lease.

However, the ministry has now cancelled the lease. It has informed the National Green Tribunal that it is cancelling the EC for Sesa Goa’s mine located in the Pirna and Nadora villages in north Goa. The EC permission has been withdrawn on grounds of “deliberate concealment of information in the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) report.

This is perhaps one of those rare instances where the ministry has invoked clause 8 of the EIA Notification, 2006, which stipulates that “deliberate concealment and/or submission of false and misleading data which is material to screening and scoping shall make the application liable for rejection.”

With this decision, it seems the Jayanti Natarajan-led ministry is finally taking a tough stand against illegal mining activities across the country.

The order of the ministry dated 29 August 2011 prefaces its cancellation with these words…

“Whereas Sesa Goa Ltd had submitted a deficient EIA report as accepted by the project proponent during public hearing held on 29-07-2011, as well as their withdrawal request made to the ministry on 2-08-2011, and whereas accepting this deficiency on the part of the company shows that it is a concealment of data in respect to vital parameters of the EIA study for appraisal process and taking decision in respect to grant of environment clearance to the said mining project….”

The EC granted to the mine was challenged before the National Environment Appellate Authority in 2009 by a local group called Pirna Naroda Nagrik Kruti Samiti. The NEAA in 2009 stayed the EC on the ground that the ministry of environment and forests failed to take into account the total opposition of the local people against the proposed mine. The NEAA directed the ministry to constitute a sub-committee to visit the site and examine the reason for the large scale opposition.

On a visit, the Expert Appraisal Committee found that the river Chapora flowed near the mine on the north. River Chapora is subjected to tidal influence. The committee also found a discrepancy with respect to the mine lease boundaries in the maps. There was a forest nearby, and elephant herds occasionally visited forests in this area.

Before the National Green Tribunal, Vedanta stated that they wanted to withdraw the application seeking EC in view of some deficiency in the EIA report. However, the National Green Tribunal on 10 August 2011 directed the ministry to decide on closing the mine in view of Sesa Goa’s acceptance of the deficiency in the EIA report.

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