Thursday 2 June 2011

AIUK : Vedanta

Vedanta mine threatens indigenous communities

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We have been living here for generations,
how can the government now just say that it is their land
and decide to allow mining without talking to us?

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L., at the Dongria Kondh hamlet of Lakpaddar

Protect communities from Vedanta's toxic leaks

Over 4,000 families in India face serious risk from threats of leaks from Vedanta's red mud pond as the rainy season begins in June. Join our action to call on the Indian authorities to protect local communities from toxic industrial leaks.  Email the Indian authorities now

Levels within the pond have already risen, amidst reports of two leaks in the last two months, threatening the communities' safety, health and livelihoods. The local communities fear that they could face a grave situation in the event of a breach during the rain expected from the monsoon. Email the Indian authorities now

Our campaign on Vedanta

UK-based mining company Vedanta Resources is threatening the human rights of indigenous communities in the Indian state of Orissa. The company is planning to mine bauxite in the Niyamgiri Hills and expand its alumina refinery at the foot of the Hills, in Lanjigarh.

    Thank you to all those who have signed our petition. We have collected more than 30,000 names worldwide and handed the petition to Vedanta Resources at their AGM on Wednesday 28 July 2010. Read a blog post to get an insight into the AGM

      Good news - Vedanta refinery expansion rejected

      In October 2010, the India's Ministry of Environment and Forests rejected a six-fold expansion of the refinery in the Lanjigarh area, proposed by Vedanta Aluminium, finding that the project violated the country's environmental laws.

      Residents of 12 villages who live in the shadow of the massive refinery - mostly Majhi Kondh adivasi (indigenous) and Dalit communities who rely on agriculture for their livelihoods - have long campaigned against the expansion, arguing it would further pollute their land and water.

      Find out more about Amnesty's reaction

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