The story so far: In early 2022, the Union Environment Ministry relaxed regulations to allow mining companies to increase production by up to 50% without needing to hold public hearings, which was a key requirement for the environmental clearance process. According to a report by the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), the move followed extensive lobbying by the Vedanta group in 2021 when the world and India was in the grip of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Which restrictions were removed?
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change eased regulations to allow mining companies to increase production by up to 50% without needing to hold public hearings. Public consultations are where local people raise their concerns about how an expansion would impact their lives and livelihoods. Many in the industry considered this the most “onerous” requirement of the clearance process.
