Also allows Sterlite to go ahead with bauxite mining, sets terms

New Delhi, August 8: Clearing the legal hurdles for Sterlite Industries Limited to mine bauxite from the ecologically fragile Niyamgiri hills, the Supreme Court today cleared its Rs 4,000-crore aluminium project in Orissa. Sterlite Industries, the parent firm of London-listed Vedanta Resources, had wanted the court’s permission since it proposed to divert about 660.749 hectare of forest land for mining purposes to feed its alumina plant. The three-member bench comprising Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan, Justices Arijit Pasayat and S H Kapadia allowed Anil Agarwal-promoted Sterlite to go ahead with bauxite mining. However while giving its clearance, it asked the nodal authority, the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF), to proceed in accordance with law. Said a statement from Sterlite Industries: “It was happy that the... [read full story]