A Japanese environment group, “Friends of the Earth” has written to the visiting Prime Minister of Japan Mr Yoshiro Mori protesting against the import of iron ore from the state-owned Kudremukh Iron Ore Corporation Ltd, by Japanese firms.
The environmental group in an open letter to Mr Mori has said that Japan should not provide public support to those Japanese companies that are going to trade natural resources exploited in an environmentally destructive manner.
“The support of Japanese public export credit agencies, namely the Japan Bank of International Co-operation and the ministry of international trade and industry to Japanese companies for purchase of iron ore is one of the main causes for excavation of the ore in the Kudremukh National Park,” Mr Hisako Motoyama, development finance and environment programme, Friends of the Earth-Japan said in a statement on Sunday.
Japan is one of the major consumers for the iron ore produced by KIOCL, which got a reprieve last month following the Union environment ministry’s decision to extend its mining lease by a year. “We are very concerned about the further extension of the mining lease in the Kudremukh National Park and the involvement of Japanese corporations in importing iron ore from this area,” he said.
Stating that KIOCL’s mining operations in the region had a serious negative impact on the eco-system, the group cautioned that the mining company’s request for an extension of mining lease for 20 years may pose a great threat to the area which is already seriously damaged. It said that three natural rivers that provide water for the people of the region originated from the national park which forms an important area of the Western Ghat forests valued for its rich bio-diversity and invaluable eco-system.
Friends of the Earth has said that the Japanese companies were still interested in continuing to purchase iron ore from KIOCL, if and when the mining lease was extended, without recognising their environmental responsibilities. “These companies which trade about one thirds of the total production of KIOCL have supported the mining company’s destructive activities,” the group said.
The appeal to visiting Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori has been co-signed by Bangalore-based Environment Support Group. Meanwhile, chief minister S.M. Krishna on Sunday said that bilateral issues between Japan and Karnataka would be discussed during Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori’s two-day Bangalore visit, which begins on Monday.
Talking to reporters at the city police commissioners’ office, Mr Krishna said specific issues would be discussed involving Japan and Karnataka during Mr Mori’s visit. The chief minister however, did not specify the issues which would be discussed.
Describing the first ever visit of a Japanese Prime Minister to Karnataka as a “big event,” Mr Krishna said, “We are all excited about it. We have lot of expectations. I would not be able to quantify what these expectations are eventually going to be. But the very fact that the Prime Minister of a prosperous country is coming is a big event and has tremendous possibilities,” Mr Krishna added.
Mr Mori will fly down from Islamabad to Bangalore on Monday evening. The Japanese Prime Minister will attend a banquet hosted in his honour by governor V.S. Rama Devi before flying to New Delhi. During his stay, he will be visiting Wipro Ltd and Infosys Technologies Ltd. Mr Mori will also meet representatives of several Japanese companies operating from Bangalore.
According to state officials, the Japanese Prime Minister’s visit will bring some aid for several projects in the state through the Overseas Economic Co-operation Fund.