Skip to main content

Our environmental footprints are managed according to most rigorous global standards: Vedanta Resources

By Our Representative
Reproduced below is a rejoinder by Vedanta Resources to www.counterview.net story, published on May 21, 2016 (click HERE) regarding the alleged outrage by a section of the writers against the top multinational corporation's (MNC's) sponsorship of the Jaipur Literary Festival (JLF) in London:
This is to bring to your urgent attention that an article titled, 'MNC-supported Jaipur Literary Festival begins in London following unprecedented "outrage" against Vedanta', posted on your portal on May 21, 2016 was filed mentioning Vedanta’s name in it.
The article has given one sided view of letter written by a section of writers but Vedanta, which has been accused of certain things, was not given chance to present its views.  Vedanta strongly refutes all allegations made in the letter quoted in the article.
Vedanta Resources is a global company with world-class standards of governance, safety, sustainability and social responsibility. To say the least, the article published in your esteemed publication has caused anguish to the company and its stakeholders.
The size and scale of Vedanta’s commitment to CSR and sustainability is one of the most robust in India and we spent US$ 42 million on community development initiatives, while this year we have delivered long-term social and economic benefits to approximately 4 million people. 
We manage our environmental footprint according to the most rigorous global standards and last year, we invested US$ 61.5 million in environmental initiatives, while 88% of our sites are now certified to the ISO 14001 environmental standard. 
We have also been recognised by the Confederation of Indian Industry’s Sustainable Plus Awards – the world’s first sustainability label – as one of the top 10 most sustainable companies in India.
A detailed point wise rebuttal of the issues raised in the letter by section of writers is given below. We welcome a direct and open dialogue with any organisation or individual that has doubts regarding Vedanta’s commitment to sustainability and engagement with the communities where it operates.
We strongly believe that the news article about demands for boycotting the event due to allegations against us (sponsors of the event) is a one-sided piece and request you to carry our denial of the allegations as prominently to ensure a fair and balanced coverage.

Text of the point-by-point rebuttal:

Regarding the environmental performance of Konkola Copper Mines (KCM):

1) KCM has spent over $ 700 million improving the environmental performance of its operations, as a clear demonstration of its commitment to social and environmental sustainability of its operations.
2) When Vedanta took over the operation at KCM we inherited mines and processing plants that had been in operation for many decades. Along with taking over the operations at KCM, Vedanta has also inherited environmental legacy issues which the company has addressed over time.
3) In April 2015, the Supreme Court of Zambia upheld a judgment by the High Court stating that KCM had been responsible for pollution. Out of 2,000 claimants the Supreme Court allowed the claim for 12 claimants, provided they are able to prove that the damage to their health has been caused by the incident. So far we have not received any claim.
4) Over the past decade, almost $3 billion has been invested to upgrade machinery, buy new equipment and reduce the legacy environmental footprint, as well as to increase production capacity. About $700 million of this investment has gone into improvements of KCM’s environmental footprint. Today, KCM’s operations conform to the global environmental sustainability standards in the industry.
5) Our environmental team is trained to reinforce environmental standards companywide. Furthermore, line mangers ensure that their teams are fully compliant through daily monitoring and training on an emergency preparedness system.
6) Along with our substantial investment in Zambia, to which we remain committed, Vedanta has transformed the water footprint in the region. Through a programme of underground rehabilitation for water handling and pumping facilities, Vedanta has, since 2007, significantly improved the quality of water.
7) KCM’s Konkola mine is one of the wettest in the world, so the primary focus has been on water: improving quality, reducing discharges and increasing recycling. Over US$5 million has been invested in underground water rehabilitation with new pumps to handle slurry and desilting, decreasing the total suspended solids (‘TSS’) in discharged water by an impressive 75% in four years.
8) The Pollution Control dam has been desilted and effluent from the Nkana refinery is being treated with the recycled effluent reused to wash copper cathodes and water vegetation around the mine site, reducing monthly domestic water consumption significantly by over 50%.
9) As a result of the company’s efforts, the Kafue River upstream and downstream is a reliable water resource for irrigation, fishing and transportation for the communities that live along its banks. KCM is committed to improve the existing conditions further, targeting best-in-class global environmental sustainability standards.
10) We have a long-term commitment to Africa and remain fully committed to maintaining the highest quality of operations at KCM, thereby realizing the potential of this high quality asset, and helping Zambia develop as well as grow its natural resources.
11) Significant levels of earnings from KCM have been reinvested back into the company, thereby expanding the mine life, increasing employment in the region, raising real salaries, significantly reducing the number of expatriates and providing technical and management training for thousands of Zambians.
12) Current status of legal proceedings: The claim was initiated in August 2015 against Vedanta at the High Court in London by a group of Zambians alleging water contamination at KCM on behalf of 1,826 Zambian villagers, although a letter before claim was received earlier. Both KCM and Vedanta are parties to the proceedings. The current proceedings are a preliminary hearing on the jurisdiction of the UK courts to adjudicate the claim. 

Regarding the Conduct of KCM’s Business

1) Over nine years of ownership by Vedanta Resources, KCM has made $2.9 billion of capital investment and made just $73 million in dividend payments – a fifth of which have been paid is to [ZCCM-IH, KCM’s minority shareholder, which is controlled by] the Zambian government.
With Regards to Vedanta’s plant in Korba, Chhattisgarh
1) With regards to the unfortunate incident at BALCO, in Korba, Chhattisgarh, we would like to clarify that the company hasco-operated in every regard with the investigations by the public authorities. There were 4 other independent findings (by 3 IITs and 1 Florida professor) which contradicted the findings of the Bakshi Commission. An appeal was filed in the High Court at Chhattisgarh and they have guaranteed a stay on this Commission. The matter is still pending before the High Court and is to be listed for hearing in due course.
2) Internal investigations concluded that heavy lightning and thunderstorms on 23rdSeptember 2009 struck the high standing structure and triggered the collapse of the chimney of the under construction power plant in Korba, Chhattisgarh.

Regarding the Niyamgiri Hill in Odisha

1) The bauxite mining project at Lanjigarh, Odisha belongs to the Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC) and to date neither OMC nor Vedanta has acquired any land in the Niyamgiri Hill ranges. As clarified and recorded in various Supreme Court judgments, there is no habitation on the proposed Bauxite Mining area. The Niyamgiri sacred peak of the hill is located at a distance of 10 KM from the Bauxite Mining area. Vedanta has not carried out any illegal land grabbing, or displaced anyone in any region.
2) Vedanta publicly stated in 2014 and continues to reiterate it is not seeking to source bauxite from Niyamgiri bauxite deposits for its alumina refinery operations, and will not do so unless we have the consent of the local communities. We continue to pursue alternative options for our long term bauxite supply. Vedanta is a law-abiding company and all of our operations comply with the applicable regulations. We continue to consult with local communities and engage with them on a continuous basis. We have not and will not do anything without local consent.
3) In response to the allegation that Vedanta has attempted to secure the Niyamgiri hill through a recent Supreme Court plea in April-May 2016, is completely untrue. Vedanta is not party to the recent petition filed by OMC in the Supreme Court to conduct the Gram Sabha again. This is a matter for the Government of Odisha. We noted the Supreme Court rejecting OMC’s plea and respect the decision taken by the authority.
4) Vedanta has committed to refrain from mining without the consent of the local people. We have not moved anyone from their homes; we have not even cut a single blade of grass in the area. On the contrary, we have invested over Rs. 60,000 crore on various projects in Odisha. The refinery has also offered direct and indirect employment to over 7,000 people.
5) The IPO of Vedanta Resources plc on the London Stock Exchange in 2003 was conducted in full compliance with all the financial markets regulations and represented a fair value of the company, objectively taking into account all company risks and prospects for growth. Vedanta’s IPO prospectus has clearly outlined that prospective mining on the Niyamgiri hill was subject to approval by the State of Orissa and the Ministry of Environment and Forest of the Government of India.

On Mining in Goa

1) With regards to iron ore operations in Goa, activity ceased in the state in September 2012 as a result of the state government order dated 10.09.12. Subsequently, MoEFCC suspended the Environmental Clearance issued to the mines vide its order dated 14.09.12 and then the Supreme Court imposed a ban on mining vide its order dated 05.10.12.
2) Even though the initial relief came in April 2014 by way of the Supreme Court judgement dated 21.04.14 that lifted the ban on mining, MoEFCC revoked the suspension imposed on Environment Clearances for some of the mines recently in March 2015. The process of obtaining consent to operate under Air (P&CP) Act, 1981 and Water (P&CP) Act, 1974 from the State Pollution Control Board and approval of the Mining Plan from IBM for individual mines is in process.
3) During the ban period, the iron ore produced and stockpiled at different places like mines, jetties, transit plots etc. was considered illegal by the SC in its order and was confiscated by the state government. Due to the appeal by the mining industry to the SC, the process of hearing to permit shipment / sale of ore lying in their premise, SC vide its order dated 11.11.13 had constituted a committee and allowed the e-auctioning of the ore by the state government under the supervision of the committee. The company restarted mining at its Codli and Bicholim mines in Goa in August 2015 after receiving all required approvals.

With Regards To the Working Conditions at HZL

1) As of 31 March 2016, Hindustan Zinc Ltd had an operating workforce of over 17,000 including contract workforce. Safety is a top priority for Vedanta. We are working hard to improve safety levels and working conditions across the business. We are working towards a zero harm environment across all of our operations and have developed a new mining plan to improve safety and working conditions across the Group.
2) As a clarification to the complaint, dated 10.12.2013 to the District Collector, that the company is destroying crops and houses around its phosphate mines, there was a site inspection by the Regional Officer (RO) and Rajasthan Pollution Control Board (RSPCB) on 14.02.14 that found no evidence to support the complaint. The inspection was also carried out by Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM) officials and they too found that the complaint was unfounded. We did not receive a report from IBM but we managed to get the report from RSPCB.
3) There are agricultural fields belonging to farmers in proximity to the lease area. There have been no complaints and no damage to these farmers’ land. Thus it is not possible that his land has been damaged and not that of the zone in between. Photographs of the area show that there was a good crop in all the fields around the Maton Mine. The complaints were concluded to be false, by the Regional Officer with responsibility for investigating the matter.

Comments

TRENDING

Insider plot to kill Deendayal Upadhyay? What RSS pracharak Balraj Madhok said

By Shamsul Islam*  Balraj Madhok's died on May 2, 2016 ending an era of old guards of Hindutva politics. A senior RSS pracharak till his death was paid handsome tributes by the RSS leaders including PM Modi, himself a senior pracharak, for being a "stalwart leader of Jan Sangh. Balraj Madhok ji's ideological commitment was strong and clarity of thought immense. He was selflessly devoted to the nation and society. I had the good fortune of interacting with Balraj Madhok ji on many occasions". The RSS also issued a formal condolence message signed by the Supremo Mohan Bhagwat on behalf of all swayamsevaks, referring to his contribution of commitment to nation and society. He was a leading RSS pracharak on whom his organization relied for initiating prominent Hindutva projects. But today nobody in the RSS-BJP top hierarchy remembers/talks about Madhok as he was an insider chronicler of the immense degeneration which was spreading as an epidemic in the high echelons of th

Central pollution watchdog sees red in Union ministry labelling waste to energy green

By Chythenyen Devika Kulasekaran*  “Destructors”, “incinerators” and “waste-to-energy (WTE) incineration” all mean the same thing – indiscriminate burning of garbage! Having a history of about one and a half centuries, WTE incinerators have seen several reboots over the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries. 

First-of-its-kind? 'Eco-friendly, low cost' sewage treatment system installed in Gujarat

Counterview Desk Following the installation of the Unconventional Decentralized Multi-Stage Reactor (UDMSR) for sewage treatment, a note on what is claimed to be the  first-of-its-kind technology said, the treated sewage from this system “can be directly utilized for agricultural purposes”, even as proving to be a “saviour in the times of water crisis.”

A Hindu alternative to Valentine's Day? 'Shiv-Parvati was first love marriage in Universe'

By Rajiv Shah*   The other day, I was searching on Google a quote on Maha Shivratri which I wanted to send to someone, a confirmed Shiv Bhakt, quite close to me -- with an underlying message to act positively instead of being negative. On top of the search, I chanced upon an article in, imagine!, a Nashik Corporation site which offered me something very unusual. 

Indo-Bangla border: Farmers facing 'illegal obstacles' in harvesting, transporting yields

  Counterview Desk  In a representation to the chairperson, National Human Rights Commission, human rights defender Kirity Roy, who is secretary, Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM), has said that Border Security Force (BSF) personnel are creating "illegal obstacles" for farmers seeking to harvest their ripened yields and transport them to the market in village Jhaukuthi of Cooch Behar district.

Wasteland, a colonial legacy, being used to 'give away' vast tracts to Ratnagiri refinery

By Fouziya Tehzeeb* William D’Souza, a 55-year old farmer from Kuthethur, Mangalore, was busy mixing cattle feed when we arrived at his doorsteps. Around 25 km from the bustling city of Mangalore, Kuthethur is a lush green village with thick vegetation. On the way to William’s house the idyllic view gets blocked by the flares and smoke arising from the Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL).

'Flawed' argument: Gandhi had minimal role, naval mutinies alone led to Independence

Counterview Desk Reacting to a Counterview  story , "Rewiring history? Bose, not Gandhi, was real Father of Nation: British PM Attlee 'cited'" (January 26, 2016), an avid reader has forwarded  reaction  in the form of a  link , which carries the article "Did Atlee say Gandhi had minimal role in Independence? #FactCheck", published in the site satyagrahis.in. The satyagraha.in article seeks to debunk the view, reported in the Counterview story, taken by retired army officer GD Bakshi in his book, “Bose: An Indian Samurai”, which claims that Gandhiji had a minimal role to play in India's freedom struggle, and that it was Netaji who played the crucial role. We reproduce the satyagraha.in article here. Text: Nowadays it is said by many MK Gandhi critics that Clement Atlee made a statement in which he said Gandhi has ‘minimal’ role in India's independence and gave credit to naval mutinies and with this statement, they concluded the whole freedom struggle.

CAA disregards India's inclusive plural ethos, 'betrays' ideals of freedom struggle: PUCL

Counterview Desk    "Outraged" at the move of the Central government to implement the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019 (CAA 2019) weeks before the election, the top rights group, People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), has demanded that the law be repealed. 

Buddhist shrines were 'massively destroyed' by Brahmanical rulers: Historian DN Jha

Nalanda mahavihara By Our Representative Prominent historian DN Jha, an expert in India's ancient and medieval past, in his new book , "Against the Grain: Notes on Identity, Intolerance and History", in a sharp critique of "Hindutva ideologues", who look at the ancient period of Indian history as "a golden age marked by social harmony, devoid of any religious violence", has said, "Demolition and desecration of rival religious establishments, and the appropriation of their idols, was not uncommon in India before the advent of Islam".

Sections of BSF, BGB personnel 'directly or indirectly' involved in cross border smuggling

By Kirity Roy*  The Border Security Force (BSF) of India and the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) of Bangladesh met for 54th Director General level meeting at Dhaka, Bangladesh, on 5th to 9th March, 2024 to discuss on minimizing killings at border area, illegal intrusion, trafficking of drugs and other narcotics, smuggling of arms and ammunitions and other crimes at bordering areas. Further, the summit had an agenda to discuss on overall development in 150 yards area at both sides of the border and design an activity plan for the same.