The Vedanta AGM, London, 27 July 2011.
Report by Carmen Miranda
[email protected]
The Vedanta AGM was dominated by pressure groups that fired a
barrage of questions and accusations mainly about the
company's activities in Orissa and Chhattisgarh. I took a
chance, raised my hand, was given the microphone and spoke
about the issue of mining in Goa.
I said, "Given Goa's size -- 104 km long and 40km
wide, with a mining belt already of 95 km long and
19% of Goa's territory under mining concessions --
is Vedanta's strategy to further expand mining in
Goa? Mining in Goa is done in people's backyards
and has been having a terrible impact on people's
lives, livelihoods and health. Goa and Goans cannot
cope with further expansion and are now demanding
the phasing out of mining in Goa. Is Vedanta
prepared to phase out and bring more sustainable
industries to Goa? How do you propose to
rehabilitate the gigantic Sonshi mine for example,
given that all the earth from it has been exported
to China? Will they get back our earth from China
for the rehabilitation process?"
"We got Sesa Goa the granny of mines in Goa going for more
than 50 years. Expansion is not in our plans, we are not
going to expand mining in Goa," replied Anil Agarwal, founder
and Executive Chairman.
The Chief Executive M.S. Mehta said mining is a major
contributor to economy and employment. What would the people
do without mining in Goa?
I explained that the argument of great economic contribution
and employment was a myth and gave the real figures of 6.19%
to economic contribution to Goa's GSDP and 15,000 directly
and 65,000 indirectly employed and suggested that sustainable
industries and alternative economic activities could easily
fill in the gap created by closure of mining.
Either Mr Agarwal is not aware of the plans of Vedanta in Goa
or he was not telling the truth, because the fact is they are
expanding illegally, and doubling extraction of ore. I also
wanted to raise the fact that Sesa Goa, despite 100%
opposition from villagers, applied to get clearance for
mining in the villages of Pirna and Andora in Bardez.
The environmental impact assessments Sesa Goa submitted have
been already refused twice in Delhi because of serious
misrepresentation, omissions and lies. It has now been
submitted for the 3rd time to the National Environment
Appellate Authority in Delhi despite the moratorium imposed
on new mining leases in Goa.
Pressure groups including Survival International, Amnesty
International and others have long opposed a projected
bauxite mine in India's Orissa state, planned for an area
considered sacred by indigenous people, as well as proposals
to increase capacity at Vedanta's Lanjigarh alumina refinery
to 6 million tonnes per year from 1 million.
They say the company has failed to adequately consider the
full human and environmental impact of the project. But the
FTSE 100 miner also came under fire over its operations in
Korba, in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh, where a
chimney collapse two years ago killed more than 40 people,
and in the coastal state of Goa, which earlier this month saw
the outer wall of a mine collapse during heavy rains, causing
a slide of silt and mud into fields and nearby settlements.
I am pleased with the opportunity to go to this
Vedanta AGM as it was an excellent way to make our
cause against mining in Goa known. In the process I
also met Bianca Jagger, representatives from
Amnesty International, Mining Network and Action
Aid, who I will try and engage and ask for help
with our cause in Goa.
Last but not least, I established contact with the Agarwal
brothers themselves which I understand is an extremely
difficult thing to do, and with the Chief Executive SM Mehta,
who I hope to lobby in future regarding their activities in
Goa. After the AGM I was having a cup of tea and talking,
well, actually complaining to his Chief Executive and his
brother Navind Agarwal, about what they were doing in Goa. As
I was doing so, I was rather taken by surprise when Anil
Agarwal came out of his way to shake hands with me. At least
they now know we exist and we want them to phase out mining
from Goa.
