Lack of ‘political will’ is leading to lawlessness in India’s mining sector that has turned out to be extraordinarily harmful and destructive to hundreds of people, said Human Rights Watch.
“India already has laws and regulations on its books that are designed to address the issues. It is the implementation that has fallen apart. At the same time, the Indian Government does have the capacity to correct these things. It is more a matter of resources and political will. We see these problems as something that can be addressed by Government will,” Mr Chris Albin Lackey, Senior Researcher at Human Rights Watch, told Business Line.
Government institutions have to scrutinise and verify whether companies are actually living up to the terms and conditions laid down. “Also, Government should strengthen itself, including at the State-level, to look at corruption not just in mining but on a broader scale,” Mr Lackey added.
The New York-based Human Rights Watch has released a report
According to the recommendations made by Human Rights in its report, Government should improve the Environmental Impact Assessment Regime (EIA), review all existing environmental clearances for mining projects and maintain a strict vigil over existing mines and the Government agencies supervising them.
Mr Lackey said Human Rights is in the process of reaching out to Government and other stakeholders in the mining industry to have a dialogue and take forward some of the recommendations made by the organisation.
Media and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are more focused on big projects handled by well-known corporates such as Vedanta Resources and Posco, while there is no focus on the small mining projects that have also displaced several households, opined Human Rights Watch.