MUMBAI, March 10: On Monday, while the Canadian aluminium giant Alcan was busy making presentation before the media on how environmental-friendly the group and its subsidiaries are, its Indian affiliate Indian Aluminium (Indal) was getting the rap on the knuckles for environmental corrosion in a reserved forest in Maharashtra.The Mumbai High Court has stayed bauxite mining by Indal, which is presently in the midst of a takeover drama, in the Idergunj area in Kolhapur, which falls under the Radhanagari reserved sanctuary. The petition over the environmental corrosion was filed by Bombay Environment Action group.
Indal has complied with the Court's order and stopped all work.
On Monday, Alcan, the 34.6 per cent owner of the company, had highlighted in great detail on how the group and its subsidiary worldwide are known for environmental protection. Alcan was making the presentation about its achievements following a takeover threat by Mumbai-based Sterlite Industries,Tapan Mitra, the vice chairman andmanaging director of the Indal told The Indian Express that the court order is valid only till March 30, and subsequently the case would be re-heard. "The controversy is not on the mines, but on the approach road which cuts through the Radhanagari Sanctuary," he said.
But, according to the petitioners, Bombay Environmental Action Group, the company was carrying out illegal mining of bauxite within the heart of Radhanagari wildlife sanctuary, hence in public interest, it has decided to move the Mumbai HC which granted a stay order in favour of BEAG.
Indal had obtained mining lease for a period of 30 years from 1968 to 1998 from the government of Maharashtra for the purposes of mining in the area. The total lease granted to the company was around 1000 hectares, of which 777 hectares was situated in Indergunj area. The entire Indergunj area was falling under a reserved forest. In a related case, the Mumbai high court had earlier directed Indal to take prior permission from the Central governmentbefore carrying out any mining activity in Idergunj. But on December 26, 1997, without any permission from the government, or any other authority, Indal began activity on the mines which included levelling and widening of a seven kilometre kuchha road passing though the sanctuary.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
