ORDER

1. M/s. Vedanta Aluminium Ltd. (formerly known as "Vedanta Alumina Ltd.") has filed an allplication before this Court seeking clearance of the proposal for use of 723.343 ha of land (including 58.943 ha of reserve forest land) in Lanjigarh Tehsil of Kalahandi District for setting up Alumia Refinery. The matter has been pending since 6.3.04. The Project consists of setting up of a large integrated aluminium complex in Orissa by M/s.Vedanta Aluminium Ltd. (M/s. VAL, for short).

2. The short question which needs to be answered is :whether M/s. VAL should be allowed to set up its Refinery/Project known as "Alumina Refinery Project". As stated above the Project involves the proposal for diversion of 58.943 ha of forest land.

3. As a matter of preface, we may state that adherence to the principle of Sustainable Development is now a constitutional requirement. How much damage to the environment and ecology has got to be decided on the facts of each case. While applying the principle of Sustainable Development one must bear in mind that development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of the future generations to meet the