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NSS concern over expansion of Vedanta Alumina

BHUBANESWAR: Niyamgiri Surakshya Samiti (NSS) on Friday alleged that Vedanta Alumina, which has put up one million tonne per annum capacity alumina refinery plant at Lanjigarh in Kalahandi district, took up expansion work without obtaining any environmental clearance.

“Estimates of local people suggest that 60 per cent of the refinery expansion work has already been completed without any environmental clearance,” said NSS member Sidharth Nayak in a petition submitted chairman of Expert Appraisal Committee (Industry-1).

He charged granting post-facto environmental clearance for such blatant violation of the law would amount to rewarding a law breaker with legal sanction, making a mockery of the law itself.

The company is seeking a capacity expansion from one mtpa to six mtpa.

NSS raised concerns over water scarcity to crop up in the event of expansion of the refinery project.

“The water requirement of 56,250 m3/day shown after expansion is too little for the expansion in production.

The extraction of this huge quantity of water from Tel river and its ecological impact and impact on the livelihoods of lakhs of poor people,” Mr. Nayak said.

“In the event of expansion, requirement of area for storage of red mud and fly ash would increase by six-folds. The company has no access to land for additional red mud disposal or fly ash disposal.

Acquiring the large area of land from tribals in a Schedule V area will result in further tribal displacement and fuel further local anger,” NSS member said.

He charged that the company had cleared part of Gramya Jungle (Village Forest) spread over 58 acres for which it did not have environmental clearance.

The organisation termed public hearing for expansion as illegal. “In the public hearing for expansion of the refinery held on April 25 last, there was massive opposition to the expansion plans. About 400 persons were present in the public hearing meeting.

However, only 117 persons signed the attendance sheet and only 27 persons got an opportunity to speak,” Mr. Nayak pointed out.

He further charged that an 11-member-team from Ministry of Environment and Forest who came to check the ground reality took hospitality of the company and did not meet locals.

NSS has been continuously opposing mining on Niyamgiri hill range, which has been abode of an aborigine community called – Dongaria Kondh.

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