Lafarge upheld MoEF order on Lafarge mining operations

Shillong, Jun 19 (UNI) The Supreme Court has upheld the order of Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) on Lafarge to stop mining and transport of limestones in Meghalaya to its cement plant in Bangladesh.

The global cement giant had challenged MoEF for banning its mining and transportation operation of limestone from Shella -Nongtrai villages to its cement plant, Lafarge Surma Cements Ltd at Chhatak, Sunamganj, in Bangladesh.

The quarries operated by the Lafarge subsidiary, Lum Umiam Mining Pvt Ltd in Meghalaya, to mine and supply limestone for its 250 million dollars cement plant through a 17-km-long cross border track.

Yesterday, a bench comprising Justice Arijit Pasayat and Justice P P Naolekar had issued a show cause notice to MoEF and Meghalaya government to explain within two weeks as to why the ban had been imposed.

In April, the MoEF had banned the mining operations after an inspection of the site by the Chief Conservator of Forests, North East Regional Office revealed that mining was taking place on forest lands without the company obtaining any clearance certificate under Forest Conservation Act, 1980.

The MOEF directive came after a senior MoEF official found that the 20 odd hectares of land already mined were strewn with tree trunks with the adjoining area waiting to be mined actually holding stretches of natural forest with tall trees and various vegetations.

Earlier, the Gauhati High court had restricted French cement giant Lafarge's Meghalaya based subsidiaries from taking any fresh loans by mortgaging tribal lands in the state.

The process of acquiring and transfer of about 12.32 lakh sq meters of tribal land and subsequent mortgage of the same to foreign banks by the company has spiralled into a controversial issue in the state.

The banks are the ADB, Deutsche Investitions und Entwicklun-gsgesellschaft (DEG), International Finance Corporation (IFC), European Investment Bank (EIB), International Financial Corporation (IFC), Arab-Bangla Bank (ABB) and Standard Chartered Bank of Bangladesh (offshore lenders) and Calyon (Credit Agricole Indosuez and Finciere Lafarge (the second lenders).

UNI