Question Govt Capacity To Monitor Implementation Of New Norms Ruhi Kandhari NEW DELHI EXPERTS have denounced the draft notification on environment standards for iron ore mining that allows more than two times the suspended particulate matter emission in mining area as compared to what is allowed in an industrial area. The text, which will be finalised after receiving public comments, is silent on the issue of waste management in mines. The draft notification on environment standards for iron ore mining is to amend the Environment (Protection) Rules of 1986. Till now, general standards meant for industries are applied in the case of iron ore mines, too, since specific norms were not formulated. Coal is the only segment in the mining industry which works under specific norms notified in 2000. According to Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) associate director Chandra Bhushan, the draft has improved standards in terms of effluent discharge, noise and airblast but its implementation is questionable as the government doesn't have the capacity to regulate these rules. The proposed text allows 500 micrograms/cubic metre of respirable particulate matter at a distance of 25 meters from the source of (ore) generation as compared to 150 micrograms/cubic metre which is allowed under current ambient air quality standards in an industrial area. However Ravi Rebba Pragada of Samata, a non-governmental organisation, wonders how the regulation will make the dust to stay within 25 meters. "People live very close to many mines in India and incidents of respiratory diseases are very high. The draft has clearly made it easy for the mining companies and difficult for the communities living around mines,' he adds. The NGO was behind the Samata judgment which declared transfer of land in the scheduled areas for private mining null and void. The proposed text is just a marginal tinkering from the earlier standards, says Environics Trust's Sreedhar Ramamurthy. "The draft is sketchy and doesn't give details about periods of monitoring particulate matter emissions and effluent discharge. Dust load goes up tremendously at the time of blasting and effluents discharge increases during monsoons,' he says. The text allows 200 mgs/litre effluent discharge during monsoons as compared to 50 mgs/litre otherwise. Mining companies may stock up effluents till monsoons and create more water pollution, apprehends Sreedhar. He said that there should be different standards for different geological conditions. "In water scarce desert, effluent discharge should be less than what is allowed for water rich areas,' he points. The environmentalists also have reservations about monitoring the implementation of these standards. "Though the new draft is stricter on water pollution standards, monitoring sedimentation ponds during monsoons is almost impossible. Monsoons is the time when maximum pollution happens due to mines,' says Mr Bhushan, co-author of "Rich Lands, Poor People. Is Sustainable Mining Possible?' "Waste from mines should be used to fill the mines and close them instead of being abandoned,' says Ravi. Central Pollution Control Board is in the process of framing more such industry-specific environment standards. Arcelor Mittal's projects face delays Arcelor Mittal's Rs 80,000-crore greenfield steel projects in Orissa and Jharkhand may get delayed by an year or two due to protests by local people against land acquisition. Though the production activities at both the plants were scheduled to begin by 2012, any delay in getting the land would add to the date of commencement of plants, sources said. Anticipating the tussle, the company has started conducting workshops at both the places to convince local people about the benefits of the project, reports Our Bureau from New Delhi. In addition, the steel firm would also file applications for acquisition of land with the respective state governments shortly.