Mining giant Vedanta argues UK court should not hear Zambia pollution case

Villagers in Zambia's Copperbelt region claim water was contaminated by a subsidiary of Vedanta Resources, but the firm claims case should be heard in Zambia, not the UK

One of the world's largest mining companies is expected to argue in the London high court on Tuesday that Zambian villagers should not be allowed to bring a case alleging pollution of their water from a copper mine to the British courts.

Residents of four villages in the Copperbelt region of Zambia claim that their water sources and land were contaminated by the mining operations of Vedanta Resources, a London-based company with assets of $37bn (30bn), and its Zambian subsidiary Konkola Copper Mines (KCM).