MoEF clears land for Lafarge

An unimpressed Green Bench,which had shut down Lafarge’s mining activities on February 9 this year,called the environmental clearance “hasty” and asked the ministry to come back with a “proper study (of environmental impact) by specialised agencies”.

Today’s affidavit says that the ministry’s expert appraisal committee for environmental appraisal of mining projects has expressed satisfaction about the “environmental safeguards” in place. The case is listed before the Green Bench led by Chief Justice of India S H Kapadia on Friday.

“It is submitted that the expert appraisal committee,in its meeting convened on June 29,2010,observed that the conditions and environmental safeguards stipulated by the MoEF while according clearance as contained in their letter dated August 9,2001 and supplemented on April 19,2010 (based on report of the Site Visit Committee) are comprehensive enough to mitigate adverse impacts of the project and protect environment,if implemented effectively,” stated the affidavit,signed by Assistant Inspector General of Forests H C Chaudhary.