Strerlite Mining - Orissa - Win for Economy over Environment

News:

The Indian Supreme Court today cleared the diversion of forest land for Sterlite's bauxite mining project and land acquisition for Korean steel giant Posco's 12-million tonne steel plant in mineral-rich Orissa even as opponents of the projects vowed to continue their agitation.

The SC order allows Sterlite, owned by of UK-based Vedanta Resources Inc, to mine bauxite in the Niyamgiri Hill in Kalahandi district to feed an alumina refinery it already built nearby.
Sterlite's Vedanta Alumina, part of the Vedanta Resources Group, is building an $800 million alumina refinery in Kalahandi and an aluminium smelter project costing Rs7,000 crore in Jharsuguda district.
The court also approved the diversion of 3,097 acres of forest land for the Rs50,000 crore ($12 billion)
Posco steel plant in Jagatsinghpur district. It also allowed Posco to buy iron ore from the market for its factory, in addition to procuring the material from Orissa Mining Corporation.
The court has, however, separated the issues of setting up of the plant and procurement, said Janakalyan Das, the Orissa government's counsel.

HARDSHIPS FACED BY TRIBAL PEOPLE FROM FEB, 2004: Read more
On 1st February 2004 the representatives of Sterlite Industries India Limited (Sterlite), a bauxite mining company, and the local police, forcibly evicted 35 households from a tribal village, Kinari, Kalahandi district of Orissa, northeast India. Villagers were transferred to a nearby hill slope
and their entire village was bulldozed. These villagers have not yet received compensation and no time was given to them to make arrangements for moving their cattle.
This operation was abruptly undertaken, destroying the residents' ancestral village.
The people only have the last crop as sustenance and no further livelihood. They were cordoned off by the local police like criminals and no one was permitted to meet them. Many other villages like Kapaguda, Belamba, Turiguda, Sindhbahali, Boringpadar and Basantapada are strongly opposing Sterlite.
They have pledged not to leave their land at any cost and have said that they would prefer to die rather than move out.

London-based Survival International director Stephen Corry called the ruling "a devastating blow" to "all of India's tribal peoples."

In Orissa, Dongria Kondh tribal Jitu Jakaka, said: "We are deeply connected with the mountain... our sacred place. It is home to our god Niyamraja. We will not allow the company to mine our land."

Last November, Norway's state pension fund withdrew 13 million dollars in investments in Vedanta, accusing it of "causing serious damage to people and to the environment" in India.

Poor tribal people cannot win against 60,000 crores or the environmental sensitive hill cannot be protected. Economy won over Environment.

People did not learn from past and will not learn:
As Korean firms gain control of gov't flagship mining project :Closure of Rapu-Rapu Mine Sought Anew

“Pack up and out of Rapu-Rapu island for good,” Bicolanos told Korean firms who took over of the Lafayette mining project. After experiencing environmental destruction, loss of livelihood and deterioration of the people’s health, Bicolanos are determined to drive away the new investors in the government’s flagship mining project.

BY LISA ITO
Contributed to Bulatlat
Vol. VIII, No. 19, June 15-21, 2008

However, (Only positive thing) In its order, the bench headed by Chief Justice KG Balakrishnan said Sterlite Industries (India) Ltd had met the Supreme Court's terms for a bauxite mining project. The SC had earlier denied Vedanta permission
to mine in the state after the company's proposal was challenged by environmentalists. A bench, headed by Justice Balakrishnan had set Vedanta conditions for mining in the ecologically fragile Niyamgiri hills in Kalahandi,
including partnering with a state agency for a permit.

Vedanta then formed the Lanjigarh Scheduled Area Development Foundation with the Orissa government, Orissa Mining Corporation and a unit of Sterlite Industries as stakeholders. The company petitioned the court to allow Orissa Mining's proposal to mine in the hills.

The company also agreed through its unit to give 5 per cent of the annual profit before tax and interest from the project, or Rs10 crore, whichever is higher, to the Lanjigarh Foundation every year, with effect from 1 April, 2007.

It will also pay Rs55 crore for replanting trees in the forest and conservation area, Rs50.5 crore toward wildlife management and Rs12.2 crore for developing the indigenous people of the area. Villagers and tribals opposing Sterlite's mining project said they are determined to continue their protests,
despite the Supreme Court ruling.

Hopefully they will do all these positive things and upbring the tribal people (who have lived in harmony with Nature).

Plumpy'nut

André Briend from France formulated Plumpy'nut, a peanut-based nutritional paste that has been successfully used to treat severely malnourished children, all over the world. It has saved several children who were malnoursihed. Even there has been reduction on illness and death from malnutrition.
These type of research should be highly appreciated and should be awarded Nobel Prize.
In EA farms and Labs, such products will be developed with sustainability as main focus.

Useful Plants - we are growing

Curry Leaf - Tree: Murraya koenigii

Medicinal Values of curry leaves: antidiabetic, antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, anti-hypercholesterolemic, etc.
Saplings: (will be used for a good purpose):

Plantains grown in friend's garden:


All these plants will be grown along with other medicinal plants at EA FARMS.

Little Kids Environmental Awareness

My four year old grew her first organic tomato:



My six year old niece's drawings regarding environment:
Save the Earth:


Recycling:


Woman Enjoying the Environment

One more Dumping Site - Thekkampatti Village

The ITC Paperboard facility at Coimbatore was acquired from BILT Industrial Packaging Company in March, 2004. The Mill is located at Thekkampatti Village, near Mettupalayam, in Coimbatore Dist of Tamil Nadu. The commercial production under ITC management began on 29th March, 2004.
Source: ITC


Source - Article in Kumudam Magazine
This article indicates that solid wastes which includes plasics, pesticides, and medicinal wastes (even fetus) has been imported to this village - Thekkampatti. Sub-contractors separate these materials and give it to the above mentioned ITC. However the remaining wastes are dumped in the land. These wastes should be properly treated and disposed instead of dumping in poor farmer's land. Pollution control should regularize these waste imports by implementing and following proper Environmental laws.
Another dumping - Tannery Effluents
I have done research on Tannery Effluents during my MS and Mphil degrees. It is one of the worst industrial pollution source. In Dindugal area these effluents are dumped into the land without any treatment. While travelling from Pollachi to Srivilliputtur, I could tell that we arrived at Dindugal just by the nasty stench from tannery effluents. I was very much worried at that time thinking of future of those area. Making my worries to be true, I read an article in Dinamalar, indicating that the area water bodies including ground water has been completely contaminated by tannery effluents. There are 61 tanneries in the area and they dump these effluents directly into the land. Several villages surrounding Dindugal, have been affected by this. Kids who are daily drinking this contaminated water have completely damaged tooth and skin.

Also 500 acres of fertile land have been contaminated by these effluents.
Authorities should build low-cost centralized tannery effluent treatment to treat this tannery effluents or else chromium in the effluents will do its damage which would be irreversible.

Also read about Mr.Loganathan, who works two jobs (Welding and Toilet Cleaning). He uses money from welding job to take care of the family. He completely gives away the money from the other job to poor orphaned children's Education(Children in Sathya Ammaiyar Govt. Orphanage School).

Hats off to Mr.Loganathan. If all people have this mentality of helping (All Politicians should learn from him), Our planet would have been a better place.

Another Note on Environmental Concern:
Last week I attended a meeting regarding building a Hindu temple in Orange county, Florida. Meeting had several people - county officials, local neighborhood people and people willing to build the temple. Most of the neighbourhood people opposed the temple proposal, even though the neighbourhood is surrounded by Churches. One of the concerns was:
Oil leakage from these thrity cars that will be parked (when people worship) will affect Ground water.

See the Environmental Concern of the these people and everyone should learn from them to be Enviromentally concise. Oil pollution from these cars is negligibly very little compared to the solid wastes sent to India (Plastics, Pesticides, Medicinal wastes, and E-wastes):

eWastes Dumped

Industries flocking into Tamilnadu - Must do Pollution Control also

Tire manufacturing Industry is coming to Gangaikondan, Tirunelveli in near future.
Commercial Vehicles Manufacturing Industry and Nokia spare parts manufacturing coming to Orakadam, Chennai very soon,
Cuddalore - Petroleum Refinery & Ship building Industry,
ThiruChopuram - Building Harbor for private sector,
along with several other industries.

These industries are good for the Economic development of the state.
However the above areas: ISLANDS, CORAL REEFS, MANGROVE FORESTS, WETLANDS, and FORESTS are as important as the Economic development and are very sensitive Environments. Also these industries should consider effects on HUMAN HEALTH.

Cuddalore is already a polluted and environmentally sensitive area. It has been affected by Tsunami.Mangrove forests have been helping the coastal areas from fierce force of cyclones. So, Mangrove forests are needed to protect the coastal areas.
Even though these industries are vital for economic upliftment, these industries must consider Environmental issues (Mandatory) also.
Watch Cuddalore Environmental Problems:








Tire manufacturing plants emit Volatile Organic Compounds. These emissions should be controlled or else there will be irreparable damage to these sensitive Environmental areas in the future. Hopefully these industries take into account the pollution that will be created and treat them properly.

Will these industrialists take care of pollution abatement or should we worry about these damaged Environment in the future?

Only time will answer.

Disney/Pixar Wall-E - Environment

Disney/Pixar Wall-E movie has a very strong environmental message - according to the movie director.

Hopefully the plastic toys that will be sold after this movie's Wall-E, EVE and others do not end up in the environment and are properly recycled.

Also Disney should be testing these toys for hazardous materials before they end up recalling these toys.

Because: Disney Store has recalled about 8,000 Tinker Bell toy wands because the paint on the pearl beads in the flowers of the wands contains excessive levels of lead, in the past.