VEDANTA 3 LAST

The hard-hitting report has been prepared by two forest
officials and a legal expert Usha Ramanathan after visiting
the locals and talking to them about the project.
"The process of determination and settlement of
individuals, community and traditional rights has not been
completed yet.
"In none of the villages that we visited was there any
understanding about how to delineate, and claim, community and
traditional rights," the report said, pointing gross
negligence of tribal rights by the mining company.
Also, "the locals of the two villages situated close to
the plant have approached the state rights commission
complaining of increased morbidity and mortality,
cattle death, irritation in the eyes and noise population,"
the report adds.
The report has found fault with the way the public
hearing was conducted and said only one out of the 27 locals
who spoke welcomed the project.
"There have also been instances where a government
department has received material assistance from Vedanta and
that this could detract from the neutrality of the government
department," the report said.
Government expert Vinod Rishi, who inspected the mining
impact on wildlife, said that the area had exhausted its
capacity.
"It will be in the overall interest of development and
conservation of human society, natural environment and
wildlife to not allow further diversion of forest land in the
Niyamgiri ecosystem," he said. PTI