Question map
The Supreme Court of India on July 29, 2011 directed the suspension of all mining operations and transportation in Bellary district of Karnataka till further orders. In this respect, which of the following statements is/are correct ? 1. The Court was convinced that over-exploration of the area bad caused large-scale environ- mental degradation. 2. The Court felt that Article 21 of the Constitution (Right to life) was violated by such exploration. 3. The Court directed the Central Government to prepare rehabilitation scheme for restoration of the forest wealth. Select the correct answer using the code given below :
Explanation
On July 29, 2011, the Supreme Court suspended mining in Bellary district, Karnataka, after being convinced that over-exploitation had led to massive environmental degradation . The Court explicitly linked this degradation to a violation of Article 21, asserting that the right to life includes the right to a clean and healthy environment. While the Court did order a rehabilitation scheme, it directed the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) to prepare the 'Reclamation and Rehabilitation' (R&R) plan, not the Central Government directly. Furthermore, the funding for this restoration was to be derived from the mining companies themselves through a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) rather than general government funds. Thus, statements 1 and 2 are correct, while statement 3 is technically incorrect regarding the specific entity tasked with the plan's preparation.
Sources
- [1] Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.) > Chapter 90: Landmark Judgements and Their Impact > M.C. MEHTA CASE (1986) > p. 630