“The Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee seems to have forgotten its mandate. It is more interested in reviving mining, rather than protecting environment in mining-ravaged areas of the state,” criticised S.R. Hiremath, founder-president of the National Committee for Protection of Natural Resources, which has been fighting against illegal iron ore mining in Bellary.
He told reporters on Saturday that the recommendations of the CEC are false and not comprehensive. “We will make our efforts to bring it to the notice of the SC in the next hearing on August 17.” He said the environmental impact assessment (EIA) of Bellary district, carried out by the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) after a Supreme Court order, suffers from several deficiencies. “The ICFRE’s conclusions lack scientific basis; it fails to explain what is the impact of ‘scientific mining’. Why should one accept the recommendations made by the ICFRE when the ministry of environment and forest and the pollution control boards have not been able to define ‘acceptable’ limits?” asked Sagar Dhara, head of Hyderabad-based Cerena Foundation, which has brought out a report – Environmental Appraisal: Iron Ore Mining in Sandur Taluk.
Mr Hiremath said that a month-long study carried out by Cerena Foundation will be placed before the SC to make its point that iron ore mining in Bellary is unacceptable. Mr Hiremath urged the state government to implement the report of V. Balasubramaniam, former additional chief secretary and chairman of the state task force for recovery of public lands, and prosecute those involved in land grabbing.