Ten miners operating in Orissa are in the dock for violation of the Environment Protection Act, 1986. Among them are Hindalco Industries, Essel Mining & Industries, Serajuddin & Company and B C Dagra.
The state government has asked the district collectors concerned to initiate legal action against the errant miners by invoking Section 19 of the Act, known as EPA.
“We have asked the district collectors of Sundergarh, Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar to take cognisance of the matter,” said Bhagirathi Behera, director of the environment department.
The mines under the scanner are Jiling-Longalata manganese ore mines of Essel Mining & Industries at Joda, Jajang iron ore & manganese ore mines at Joda of Hargovind Pandya, Laupada iron ore mines of Narayani Sons, Talabira open cast coal mine project of Hindalco Industries near Sambalpur, Bhadrasahi iron ore mines at Barbil of Bharat Process Mechanical Engineers, Bhulaleda iron ore mines at Barbil owned by Mineral Trading Syndicate, Balda iron ore block of Serajuddin & Company, Putulipani iron ore mines of Gandhamardhan Sponge Industries in Keonjhar district, Orauri manganese mines of Orissa Manganese & Minerals Ltd at Bonai in Sundergarh district and Suleipat iron ore mines of B C Dagra at Rairangpur in Mayurbhanj district.
As many as 198 lessees have violated the EPA. Action against these miners would be taken in a phased manner, said Behera. They have been noticed of carrying out production above the limit sanctioned under EPA and under Air and Water Acts.
Besides, there were 104 lessees in the state that had extracted ore in the past ten years in excess of the mining plan approved by the Indian Bureau of Mines.
In August last year, the government had constituted a six-member committee headed by the director (mines) to look into cases of the miners that had raised ores beyond the IBM approved mining plan. The committee submitted its report, after which it was referred to the IBM.
The excess mining has been noticed in the case of iron ore, limestone, manganese and chromite. These are cases where the miners have raised ores in excess of the IBM-approved Mining Plan for a year or so in the past one decade.
The committee was constituted as per the order of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to look into cases of excessive lifting of minerals and recommend the imposition of penalty on errant miners.
