MoEF slaps show cause to VAL for its expansion project
Bhubanewswar | Thursday, Sep 2 2010 IST
 

The Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) has slapped a show cause notice to the Vedanta Alumina Limited (VAL) on the withdrawal of terms of reference for its expansion projects and closure of the 1 MTPA Alumina plant established at Lanjigarh with an investment of Rs 5000 crore.

The show cause notices were issued under section five of the Environment Forest Act 1986, a week after rejecting the stage two clearance for bauxite mining from the Niyamgiri hills by the Orissa Mining Corporation and Vedanta on violation of Forest Rights Act (FRA). The MoEF asked the VAL as to why the terms of reference would not be withdrawn for undertaking construction activities for expansion of 1 MTPA Alumina plant to six MTPA and 75 MW power plant to 300 MW without obtaining prior environmental clearance.

The Ministry also issued another show cause as to why its one MTPA Alumina plant should not be closed and environmental clearance accorded to it would be revoked in view of the non compliance of the conditions stipulated while according the clearance to the plant.

While granting environmental clearance the MoEF has clearly indicated that no forest land would be used for establishment of the Refinery at Lanjigarh. The MoEF, however, came to know that the VAL had occupied over 26,123 hectares of village forest land within the Refinery boundary and claimed that the environmental clearance granted to the plant was legally invalid.

The VAl has been asked to reply the show cause notices within a fortnight.

-- (UNI) -- 02CA6.xml

 

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