Vedanta mine plan back on track?

Could Vedanta's aluminium refinery and bauxite mining project be looking at a second lease of life? A sub-committee of the environment ministry has given the go-ahead to mining the Niyamgiri hills, months after Union environment minister Jairam Ramesh had put the refinery project on hold for violation of norms.

The sub-committee's nod is only recommendatory in nature and will have to get the approval of the Environmental Appraisal Committee (EAC) and then Ramesh before it turns into a green permit to mine the hills that are home to the Dongriya Kondh tribal group.

The EAC, a statutory body under the Environment Protection Act, which reviews all projects, had given the go-ahead to mining bauxite in the Lanjigarh area in 2009. But the decision was challenged in the then operational National Environmental Appellate Authority. The authority sent it back to the ministry asking it to review the case.

It now emerges a sub-committee of EAC has reaffirmed the decision it had taken earlier.

This could also come in handy for the Orissa Mining Corporation and Vedanta, which have gone to the Supreme Court against the environment ministry's order cancelling the forest clearance to mine the hills, held sacred by the primitive tribal group. They have filed a PIL on the issue before the SC asking it to revoke the orders Jairam Ramesh had passed against their project. The case is expected to be heard on Monday.