The Wildlife Board found out that Hindalco mines “posed more hindrance to movement of wild animals”
In a big blow to the country's top aluminium rolling private sector firm Hindalco, the Supreme Court on Thursday ordered shutdown two of the company's bauxite ore mining units in Maharashtra as it was operating from an eco-sensitive zone close to a wildlife sanctuary without any wildlife clearance.
The glaring illegality came to light on a site inspection report conducted by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Wildlife in Maharashtra's Kolhapur district on October 10-11, 2017. The team comprising officials of National Tiger Conservation Authority, Non-Coal Mining Advisor, and Maharashtra Forest Department was sent by the National Board of Wildlife (NBW) to investigate whether illegal mining took place in the eco-sensitive corridor between Radhanagri Wildlife Sanctuary and Chandoli National Park.
The Committee report found out two mines of Hindalco, a subsidiary of Aditya Birla group, operational since 1994 in Durgmanwadi and Dhangarwadi villages, both within the 10-kilometre eco-sensitive zone of Radhanagri Sanctuary. The Durgmanwadi mine alone with a lease area of 204.56 hectares produced 8.64 lakh tonnes annually. This was taken for treatment to Karnataka.
The Committee report presented to the Supreme Court by the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change (MoEFCC) pointed out that Hindalco had no wildlife clearance as required under a notification issued by MoEFCC dated December 2, 2009. It stated that although the mining projects had prior environmental clearance they will be required to obtain wildlife clearance from the NBW as well.
The Centre wrote to Maharashtra government on February 19, 2018, to act against Hindalco mines and three other mines in the area (Bhartesh Constructions, Shivram Minerals, Panditrao Mines and Minerals), as none of the above had obtained wildlife clearance. The Wildlife Board found out that Hindalco mines "posed more hindrance to movement of wild animals" as it was situated in the corridor connecting the national park and wildlife sanctuary.
Fuming over the inaction of the Maharashtra government to act against the illegal mining in the state, the bench of Justices Madan B Lokur, S Abdul Nazeer and Deepak Gupta ordered forthwith closure of all mines operating without wildlife clearance and directed Maharashtra Chief Secretary to remain present in Court on Tuesday.
BOARD FINDINGS
- The Wildlife Board found out that Hindalco mines “posed more hindrance to movement of wild animals”.
- The mines were situated in the corridor connecting the national park and wildlife sanctuary, it said.
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