Cricket legends Ian and Greg Chappell and few other prominent Australians have written to Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani urging him to abandon the $21 billion mine project, a plea the company rejected as “motivated” by a very small group “misled” people.
The open letter cited public opposition, risks to miners’ health, climate change and potential impact on the fragile Great Barrier Reef as reasons not to proceed with the project in the Galilee Basin.
Adani Group spokesperson rejected the letter as “motivated” by “a very small group of 76 misled people. The proposed mine in Australia has been cleared after rigorous assessments and strict conditions”.
“Cricket has a bit to do with the feeling between India and Australia,” said Ian Chappell. “The thought that this [mine] could affect the relationship, hopefully that’ll get through.”
The letter calls on Adani to invest in renewables instead, and concludes that it would be a “great shame” were the mine to “damage the image of India in Australia”.
Adani Group spokesperson said the proposed mine is supported fully by people of regional Queensland and their elected representatives.
“The proposed mine will help in providing energy security to millions of Indians who are without electricity while creating thousands of jobs and economic benefits for the state of Queensland in particular and Australia in general. It is a project which will create enormous social and economic value for both the countries of Australia and India,” the spokesperson added.
The $21.7 billion Carmichael coal mine project, one of the world’s largest, is set to start construction this year after being given the green light by the federal and Queensland State Governments.
The project involves dredging 1.1 million cubic metres of spoil near the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, which will then be disposed of on land. Besides the former Australian Test cricket captains,authors Richard Flanagan and Tim Winton, Telstra chair John Mullen and investment banker Mark Burrows have also signed the letter.
The letter is expected to be delivered to Adani’s Gujarat headquarters by an Australian community delegation currently visiting India.
The letter said, “We are writing to respectfully ask you to abandon the Adani Group’s proposal in Queensland’s Galilee Basin...Pollution from burning coal was the single biggest driver of global warming, threatening life in Australia, India and all over the world.”
“last month The lancet, one of the world’s leading medical journals, published a report that described your company’s Carmichael mine proposal as a public health disaster... This mine proposal does not have wide public support in Australia and does not have the support of the Traditional Owners of the land where the mine would be dug.
“There are concerns about the impact the mine will have on groundwater resources and on nearby farmers who rely on this water for their livelihoods,” it noted.