Condensed from "Amid Growing Concerns, India Closely Examining Mining Costs," by Julien Bouissou, Le Monde, published in the Cambodia Daily, Nov. 1, 2010. All text below is copyright Bouissou/Le Monde.
PARIS -- Citing the need to protect the environment and local residents, Indian courts and government bodies have started blocking -- or even cancelling -- a growing number of industrial projects.
Last month, the high court in Madras ordered the closure of a copper smelter operated by the London-listed conglomerate Vedanta, to protect "mother nature" from "unabated air and water pollution."
In August, the environment ministry prevented Vedanta from opening a bauxite mine on tribal lands in eastern India held to be sacred by the Dongria Kondh community. [Webmaster's note: The Dongria people's struggle against Vedanta was the subject by an Avatar-themed press campaign earlier this year by Survival International.] Economic benefit is no longer sufficient reason for the government to approve applications for mining and industrial schemes.
India is rich in mineral resources and has almost doubled mining output since 1993. But of the 50 districts registering the largest mineral output, more than half are among the nations poorest in social terms, according to figures released by the Center for Science and Environment in New Delhi.
In a 2006 report on national mineral policy, the Planning Commission said, "The relationship between mining companies and local communities has a legacy of abuse and mistrust."
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