NEW DELHI: Human rights watchdog Amnesty International on Tuesday alleged that the government and Vedanta had failed to protect Orissa’s indigenous communities from health hazards of mining, but the mining major hit back saying the claims were based on an “outdated document”.

In a report released on Tuesday, Amnesty alleged that the 8,000 strong community, mainly ‘adivasis’ (tribals) in Orissa’s Lanjigarh suffered violations of human rights to water and health, due to pollution by Vedanta’s aluminium refinery.

“Vedanta Aluminium’s alumina refinery has led to water and air pollution, seriously undermining the quality of life and threatening the health of nearby communities, some of whom live only a few hundred yards from the refinery’s boundary walls,” the Amnesty report said.

It also alleged that the Centre failed to obtain “free, prior and informed consent” of the Dongria Kondh people living in forests of Niyamgiri Hills before approving this project.

The Centre, on its part, said it is yet to receive the Amnesty’s report and as such, a new Act (the Mines and Minerals Development and Regulation Act) is on the anvil to take care of issues, including tribal rights and welfare.

Reacting to the report, Vedanta said: “The majority of the report is based on an outdated document which was subjected to intense scrutiny by the Supreme Court.”

The firm claimed that it offered for joint verification of allegations in eight villages, and dialogue on every aspect of the report but it was rejected.

Earlier, the Church of England said it sold its shares in Vedanta Resources Plc because the mining company hasn’t shown enough respect for the human rights of people living close to an alumina refinery and proposed mine in India.

“We are not satisfied that Vedanta has shown, or is likely in future to show, the level of respect for human rights and local communities that we expect of companies in whom the Church investing bodies hold shares,” John Reynolds, chairman of the church’s Ethical Investment Advisory Group, said in a statement on the church’s Web site today. The shares were worth about 3.8 million pounds ($5.9 million), the church said.

Vedanta, controlled by billionaire Anil Agarwal, started refining alumina, the raw material used to make aluminum, at the Lanjigarh refinery in Orissa in 2007. Campaign group Amnesty International has protested against Vedanta’s plans to expand refining. Norway’s state pension fund sold Vedanta shares in 2007, citing environmental and human rights failures of four of the company’s Indian units.

“We are disappointed by the Church of England’s decision,” Vedanta spokeswoman Sophia Matveeva said in an e- mailed statement. “Vedanta remains fully committed to pursuing its investments in a responsible manner, respecting the environment and human rights.”

“Investors should take strong action when ‘constructive engagement’ with a company doesn’t result in a change in practice,” Amnesty said in a statement issued in response to the church’s decision.