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Government indifference and poor regulation have fuelled lawlessness in India's troubled mining industry and threaten serious harm to mining-affected communities, according to a Human Rights Watch (HRW) report.
The report: Out of control – mining, regulatory failure and human rights in India focuses on iron mining in Goa and Karnataka to illustrate a broader pattern of failed regulation, alleged corruption and harm to local communities.
In Karnataka, BS Yeddyurappa resigned as chief minister last year after being indicted by an anti-corruption panel in an illegal mining scandal that allegedly cost the exchequer more than £1.8bn between 2006 and 2010. The southern Indian state, where illegal mining is rife, produces about 45m tonnes of iron ore a year and exports more than half of it to China.
India's mining sector has experienced a boom driven by strong international demand. The country produced around $44bn worth of minerals during 2010-11, ...