Summary:
"If the allegations are found to be true, then an action taken report should be filed by the forest department also," said the NGT order. "It is mandatory for starting of mining activities if the project comes under forest land. The UAIL is yet to even comply with the stage-I clearance and it is yet to be granted stage-I clearance by the Centre, which is followed by a site inspection," Pani told TOI.The UAIL's mine and refinery is located at Baphlimali hill in Rayagada and Kalahandi districts. The hill is a reservoir of bauxite ore.Apart from directing the principal chief conservator of forests to inspect the UAIL mine and plant, the NGT has issued notice to forest secretary, Rayagada collector and divisional forest officer, Odisha State Pollution Control Board and UAIL.The forest department has been asked to submit the inspection report to NGT before October 20, the next date of hearing. BHUBANESWAR: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the forest department to inspect Utkal Alumina International Limited (UAIL) at Rayagada to check whether its refinery unit and mines are operating on forest land.A petitioner, Sanjit Kumar Turuk, has filed a petition with the NGT alleging that the company was granted mining lease and operation of refinery over 1,338 hectare out of which 233 hectare falls within forest area for which no environment clearance has been obtained.The petitioner's lawyer, Sankar Pani, said the environment clearance for mining for 8.5 million tonne capacity per annum was granted in February 2009 but the company suppressed the fact that forest land was part of the project.Mining operations are ongoing since 2013 without any forest clearance as required under Section-2 of Forest Conservation Act, 1980..