HC asks Centre, TN Govt, TATA to file replies to PIL

Madurai, Sep 5 (UNI) The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has directed the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests, the Tamil Nadu Government, Project Director of TATA Iron and Steel Company and the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board to file their replies within four weeks to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) on TATA's Titanium Dioxide Project.

The Court gave the order yesterday, on a PIL seeking a ban on the setting up of the Rs 2,500 crore project in Tirunelveli and Tuticorin Districts of the state.

In a writ petition, a farmers' association-- 'Kuttam, Their and Tharisu Nila Membattu Vivasayeegal Sangam'-- of Tirunelveli sought the court intervention to refrain the government from going ahead with the project, before conducting an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).

The petitioner claimed that EIA was mandatory for the project to be implemented across 16,000 acres of land of which about 3,000 acres lay on the sea shore.

The association said Rutile and Ilmenite were two major titanium mineral ores of commercial value, found in beach sand and rock deposits.

The content of Titanium Dioxide in these ores varied between 45 to 60 per cent, depending on the source.

The association further claimed that a study on titanium dioxide at Sierra Leone in West Africa had showed that mineral extraction caused deforestation, relocation of villages, chemical pollution and radio activity.

Besides, an article published by the National Geographic Society showed that the chemical was produced by a chlorine process that released hazardous carcinogenic dioxins into the atmosphere.

Mining of sand up to a depth of six feet would affect the environment and cause ingression of sea water into the land making the ground water saline.

Since this project is related to mineral resources, the Centre should study the project, the petitioner said and added that the state government should revoke its Memorandum of understanding (MOU) with TATA Company, considering the protests.

When the petition came up for hearing, a Division Bench, comprising Justice P K Misra and Justice P R Shivakumar ordered issuance of notices to the four concerned, returnable by four weeks.

UNI