The environment ministry has issued environmental violation notice to Anil Agarwal-promoted Vedanta Alumina’s Lanjigarh refinery. Violations include failure to adhere to environment protection norms, unauthorised expansion of capacity to 6 million tonnes and sourcing of bauxite from illegal mines. The company has time till September 14 to submit its reply. An unsatisfactory explanation could result in the refinery’s closure.
See http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/indl-goods-/-svs/metals–mining/Vedanta-Alumina-gets-violation-notice/articleshow/6477798.cms.
More trouble for Vedanta, violence at plant
About 100 contract labourers under Larsen and Toubro, construction contractor at Vedanta Resources’ refinery at Lanjigarh in Kalahandi district, went on rampage inside the plant on Tuesday. The labourers allegedly demanded their dues from the L&T management and ransacked the factory’s administrative building and switched off the power plant. They later clashed with the police, security guards and local villagers.
See http://www.hindustantimes.com/More-trouble-for-Vedanta-violence-at-plant/Article1-594946.aspx.
India: Investigate police crackdown on workers at Vedanta’s refinery site
Indian authorities should order an independent and impartial investigation into the police crackdown on retrenched contract workers at the Vedanta Aluminium refinery at Lanjigarh in which at least 25 contract workers were injured and several others detained by police. The crackdown on the night of 31 August followed protests against the retrenchment of more than 3,500 contract workers. Those retrenched worked for engineering and construction firms that were working on expansion of the refinery. The retrenchments came in the wake of a decision by India’s Ministry of Environment and Forests to suspend refinery expansion and reject plans to bauxite at nearby Niyamgiri Hills. The Ministry had termed the expansion work already carried out as illegal. Hundreds of retrenched workers began protesting on the evening of 31 August after failure of talks to agree on payment of compensation and outstanding allowances.
See http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/ASA20/024/2010/en/f823715c-0385-4669-8443-62d0db5084d5/asa200242010en.html.