The team appointed by the Supreme Court (SC) to study the impact of mining on the environment in Karnataka?s Bellary district has found violation of rules by some companies engaged in mining there.
?Some violations have definitely taken place. The Bellary district deputy commissioner told us that illegal mining had happened. Now, it has been stopped under an order of the Supreme Court,? Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE), director general VK Bahuguna, who is heading the 18-member team, told reporters.
?I can?t say anything now. Our mandate is to carry out a scientific assessment of impact of mining on livelihood. We feel the mining activity has impacted livelihood in the area,? he added.
The team, which is on a visit to the district since last week, has three months to submit its findings to the court and has sought a list of maps of mining areas, number of sanctioned, operational and illegal mines, Bahuguna said. Further he said that no one is opposing a blanket ban on mining and people are saying that there should certainly be no illegal mining.
On August 5, the SC while allowing state enterprise National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) to operate its two mines for producing iron ore in the district, had directed ICFRE to undertake a macro-level environment impact assessment jointly with Wildlife Institute of India, Forest Survey of India and other expert organisations in forestry as decided by ICFRE in consultation with the environment and forest ministry.
After banning iron ore mining in Bellary on July 29, the SC imposed a blanket ban on mining in the neighbouring Tumkur and Chitradurga districts too on August 26.