Team Herald
PANJIM: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has made Environment Clearance (EC) mandatory for the Vedanta’s beneficiation plants at Codli, which is operating without the requisite clearance.
The Goa Foundation had approached NGT pleading that the commencement of the two beneficiation plants at Codli after the closure of mining on March 15, 2018 and after the cancellation of all EC was illegal as Vedanta did not have ECs for them.
The plants commenced operation after Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) granted consent to operate to the firm in September 2019 for the process of 2.1 million tonnes of ore per annum, without requisite EC.
The plants were closed and shifted in the 2012 and again closed in 2018 and finally re-started in 2019. The applicant objects to restarting in 2019, without EC.
The GF prayed that the directions be issued to the GSPCB to revoke the consent as it enabled the company to operate in violation of environment norms.
The NGT principal bench noted that as per the EIA Notification, 2006 Mineral Beneficiation along with two (2) categories ‘A’ & ‘B with threshold limits of above 0.1million tonne per annum mineral throughput and general condition that mining proposal with Mineral Beneficiation shall be appraised together for grant of clearance.
“Accordingly, we hold that the application is maintainable and requirement of prior EC for operating the plants in question is attracted. The plant in question cannot operate without requisite EC,” the NGT Principal bench noted.
The green bench has directed the Union Ministry for Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) and the GSPCB to take further remedial action in accordance with this finding to enforce the rule of law.
