Madras High Court has restrained state owned Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation Limited and Tamil Nadu Iron Ore Mining Corporation Limited from mining and cutting trees in Kanjamalai Reserved forest, pending the outcome of an appeal in the Supreme Court.
The first bench, comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice T S Sivagnanam stated this while disposing of a PIL by advocate S Gnaneswaran, seeking a direction to forebear the Union Secretary, Environment Ministry, the Secretary, State Environment and Forest Department and Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board, to permit the two corporations from carrying out mining and felling of vast number of trees.
The petitioner contended that Jindal Vijayanagar Steel Limited had formed a Joint Venture with TIDCO to mine iron ore from these reserved forests. The JV was to mine, concentrate and palletize one million tones of iron ore a year and to sell this to to some private firms.
He said the Central Empowered Committee took note of the Environment and Forest impact and in its June 29 2009 order and stated that permission sought to fell 2,22,397 trees in 325 hectares each of reserved areas in both forests to set up the project may not be granted and would not be in public interest to do so under forest conservation act.
It further noted that several species of endangered flora and fauna could be affected as also water and air quality in and around Thiruvannamalai and Salem districts.
The petitioner noted the project was stated to be a JV,but that only private steel companies would benefit .Already Jindal Vijayanagar Steel planned to invest nearly Rs 400 crore for it.
Contending that the project was a "suicidal step", he sought to restrain the authorities from carrying out any mining operation and the felling of more than two lakh trees in Kavuthimalai Reserved forest area in the state.
When the matter came up before the first bench yesterday, Jindal Vijayanagar Steel Limited informed the court through a counter affidavit that interim applications filed by TIDCO and TIMCO are pending before the SC and that no work had commenced nor any mining operations in the forest area.
The bench recorded the above and said "in view of the aforesaid statements made in the counter affidavit, nothing will be done contrary to the same and the parties will await orders of the Honourable Supreme Court.
"This implies neither mining nor cutting of the trees will be carried out in the area and that will be subject to the outcome of proceedings before the Supreme Court.
