The future of 99 mining companies, currently being surveyed by the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) is in the doldrums for a new reason.
The future of 99 mining companies, currently being surveyed by the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) is in the doldrums for a new reason.
These companies were in the news for illegally encroaching upon forest land, exporting iron ore even after it was banned in July 2010. Now, environmental issues are threatening them with closure.
The Federation of Indian Mineral Industry (FIMI) meeting owners of iron ore mines in Bellary and other districts on Monday to discuss concerns over the environment.
Bellary has suffered major changes in the environment ever since mining began on a large scale in the district a decade ago.
Today, it is so full of iron ore particles that the air is red. Trees have been killed by the density of the pollution.
“Diseases of the skin, kidney and heart are common. Mining has caused high incidence of above-normal blood pressure in people in this area,” said Tapal Ganesh, the son of a mine owner, who has been waging a battle against illegal mining.
“Mining firms take no precautionary measures to mitigate the deleterious impact on the environment,” he said. Even water is often laced with iron ore dust.
A police officer, seeking anonymity, said that CEC officials had come to know that officials of the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board had accepted bribes from mining companies in Bellary to offer a report favourable to the owners of mines.
On July 4, when CEC submitted its report to the Supreme Court, the impact of mining activity on the environment was underlined.
The court ordered that if steps were not taken to prevent the deterioration of the environment, mining activity in the area would be stopped completely.
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