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Mining - Diamonds and Destruction
Guidelines from the Central Ministry of Environment and Forests insist that industrial sites maintain a distance of at least 25 km from ecologically and/or otherwise sensitive areas, including National Parks and Sanctuaries.
The government owned National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) diamond mine is situated just outside the boundary of Panna Tiger Reserve and encroaches on Gangau Wildlife Sanctuary. It not only contravenes the Ministry's guidelines, but also violates Section 2 of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 (FCA), Section 35 (6) and Section 25 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 (WPA) and the Environmental (Protection) Act, 1986 (EPA).
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NMDC's lease ran out six years ago and their application for renewal has consistently been rejected.
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Mountains of solid waste material from the open-cast mine, pre- and post-treatment are dumped on surrounding forest land, encroaching on Panna Tiger Reserve and neighbouring Gangau Wildlife Sanctuary. According to the Jabalpur Nature Conservation Society, which has taken NMDC to court, 1400 cubic metres of waste are dumped every 24 hours in this precious forest area.
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Slurry from the mine also feeds into the Kaimasan nallah (stream) carrying the sludge to the Tiger Reserve so that "whatever water is flowing is highly polluted".
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NMDC have constructed permanent buildings on forest land that they do not even hold a lease for, across the road from Panna Tiger Reserve.
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According to senior Park officials, the mine has increased output by 30% and intends to expand.
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There are already five cases of sandstone mining in violation of the FCA in Gangau Wildlife Sanctuary which was notified in 1976 but neglected by the State government.
Complete political inertia on the part of the Madhya Pradesh State government has meant that the words of the Tiger State Foundation Society fail to be heard over the noise of excavators and dumper trucks.
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