Apr 12 2011

Press Release on Red Mud Pollution by Vedanta PLC

South Asia Solidarity Group, London / Simon Chambers

On 5 April, in a similar but much smaller scale repeat of the Hungarian red mud pond disaster last year, the wall of the red mud pond at Lanjigarh collapsed, resulting in caustic toxins to flow into the Vansadhara river.  This was after several warnings from the Orissa State pollution control board (which were ignored by Vedanta) that the wall to the RMP was badly built.  See below for a link to a very good video made by locals.
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This has happened at a time when Vedanta are waiting to hear whether they can get permission to expand their operation at Lanjigarh six-fold, and have applied to the Supreme Court to overturn the Ministry of Environment and Forests decision to not allow mining on Niyamgri.

Please watch this news video by KBK Samachar (Bhawanipatna) about how a breach occurred in Vedanta’s red-mud pond at Lanjigarh in Orissa the day before and how the company could hush up the matter in such frightening ease! Toxic red mud has flown into water bodies and the Banshadhara river for 3 hours, after a brief thunder shower. Residents around the plant fear the worse when Monsoon comes!
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_8Tp2skbNM

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