50-Member team to assess mining areas on Oct 16

TUMKUR: Director General of Indian Council for Forest Research and Education (ICFRE) who led the 16-member team for a macro-level Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) in Bellary, Chitradurga and Tumkur said that another 50-member team will pay a visit to the mining areas for further study from October 16.Addressing mediapersons, he said that the EIA study report concerning Bellary district will be submitted to the SC on November 5 and that of Chitradurga and Tumkur’s on November 26.“We will not seek extension of the deadline since the best of the experts will be filing the data to file an objective report taking note of all the stake holders involved,” he added.The forthcoming team will comprise the scientists from ICFRE, Institute of Wood Science and Technology, Wildlife Institute of India wing and other government agencies, who will assess the impact thoroughly.The impact has been similar in all three districts, he said,adding that it has taken note of the impact.They admitted that the mining leases tried to save their face by planting saplings for name sake.“Apart from our report the SC will also consider media reports,” he revealed.When the attention was drawn to some mining lease owners appealing before the team to consider to allow the regulated mining the IFS officer clarified as the team cannot play a judge as it’s mandate is limited to assess the impact CEC TEAM VISITS CHITRADURGA AGAIN Chitradurga:Members of the Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC) arrived for the second time in the district on Monday to assess the affect on the environment due to mining in the district.The team led by P V Jaikrishnan accompanied by member secretary M K Jiwrajka and member Mahendra Vyas arrived in the city and conducted meetings with Deputy Commissioner Vipul Bansal and other senior district officials.District Police, officials from the Department of Mines and Geology, Forest, Pollution Control Board were also present at Inspection Bungalow.The team collected reports of survey conducted by the National Institute of Technology Surathkal (NITK).According to sources from the district administration, it is learnt that the team is comparing the present report of NITK along wit the old report lying with Department of Mines and Geology and finally prepares a report of its own that will be submitted to the SC.The team is said to conduct a survey of illegal mining and encroachment of forests in the district.