Supreme Court suspends mining activities in 2 more districts of Karnataka

NEW DELHI: After Bellary, mining operations of two other districts of Tumkur and Chitradurga in Karnataka were on Friday suspended by the Supreme Court which said that balance has to be struck between economic development and environment.

A three-judge forest bench headed by Chief Justice S H Kapadia turned down the plea of some mining companies of Bellary for allowing them to carry on their operations and indicated that the suspension will continue till a proper rehabilitation scheme for the area is placed before it.

It asked all the mining companies to form an association and sit with Attorney General G E Vahanvati and Amicus Curie Shyam Divan, who is assisting the court to propose the scheme on how mining should be conducted in the area in a scientific manner so that further damage to environment could be prevented.

"On going through the Report of Central Empowered Committee (CEC), we extend the order passed by this Court on July 29, 2011, to the mining leases in districts Tumkur and Chitradurga. Consequently, pending further orders, there will be a ban on mining in districts Tumkur and Chitradurga," the bench, also comprising Justices Aftab Alam and Swatanter Kumar said.

The court passed the order after going through CEC report which recommended the halting of extraction of iron ores in the districts.