The mining operation will have massive negative affects on the Dongria Kondh, one of India's most isolated tribes. Resolute Mining’s Syama gold mine workers launch strike; Coronavirus company news summary – Syama workers strike over Covid-19 policy – China’s aluminium and alloy imports reach 1.74Mt – Ningbo Lygend restart construction in Indonesia; Most Recent. Ever since the community turned down a proposal from Vedanta Aluminium to mine the Niyamgiri hills for bauxite in 2013, it has found itself in the cross hairs of the State government. Unanimous rejection was recorded in July and August 2013. How do they identify the beneficiaries? However, we have a request for those who can afford to subscribe: please do. I believe this is going to be tough. The OMC holds a claim over the deposit with a letter of intent towards a mining lease from the state government. *Our Digital Subscription plans do not currently include the e-paper, crossword and print. Shinta, who belongs to Indonesia’s Dayak community, which is being rapidly marginalised by the local government’s policy on transmigration and by expansive oil companies, could instantly relate to Jakasika’s struggle. Where will we grow pineapples, banana, oranges, turmeric, cereals and pulses? India has rejected Vedanta Resources' proposed bauxite mining plan for the Niyamgiri Hills in Odisha state. But we don’t want forests razed to the ground for a wide road. Mining bauxite and processing it into aluminium is deadly to the environment. Themes ; Deals. Nobody exemplifies this deep divide better than Lada Sikaka, NSS president and once an important voice of the Dongrias. Not all members of the tribe even know what the FRA is. The Hindu has always stood for journalism that is in the public interest. The Khandadhar watershed and forests, which hold […] Biswaranjan Rout. We also reiterate here the promise that our team of reporters, copy editors, fact-checkers, designers, and photographers will deliver quality journalism that stays away from vested interest and political propaganda. for Bauxite mining. They are home to more than 8,000 of the Dongria Kondh people, whose lifestyle and religion have helped nurture the area’s dense forests and unusually rich wildlife. The bauxite-capped Niyamgiri hills soak up the monsoon’s rain, giving rise to more than a hundred perennial streams and rivers, including the Vamshadhara river. Apart from this, Vedanta Alumina Refinery runs a private hospital as CSR activity. These streams provide the water that is vital for the communities who live in the hills, and provide critical drinking and irrigation water for those in the plains, where drought and starvation have made national news. The Supreme Court of India asked in April 2013 for public consultations in villages and hamlets in the Niyamgiri hills. Explore more for Niyamgiri hills breaking news, opinions, special reports and more on mint. This conflict has been a well-known case in the mineral-rich state of Odisha in India, involving some of the world’s oldest surviving indigenous peoples. But no government official turned up. Jakasika belongs to the Dongria Kondh community, one of Odisha’s few remaining tribal groups. Niyamgiri hills are home to about 8,000 Dongaria Kondh tribes living in … Niyamgiri Hills contains 72 million tonnes of bauxite, which the firm intended to mine to feed its alumina refinery plant at Lanjigarh, Odisha. However, the state government will find it difficult to relaunch the gram sabha meetings on this issue. At this difficult time, it becomes even more important that we have access to information that has a bearing on our health and well-being, our lives, and livelihoods. In 2013, the Supreme Court of India asked the tribal people to take the decision, in which BMP was rejected in all village council meetings. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. At the annual festival, Dongria Kondhs resolved not to yield an inch if the government resorts to forced eviction. Bauxite, which they were planning to mine atop Niyamgiri hills, serves as a raw material of alumina. The Union environment ministry cancelled all permissions granted to the company following allegations by … Mines expert and former director of mines with Odisha government B K Mohanty was quoted by Business Standard as saying: "The gram sabhas for Niyamgiri bauxite mining were conducted as per the directions of the Supreme Court. A solid waste product ‘red mud’ which is an environmental and health hazard is produced during … The Dongria tribe of Eastern India has been under intense pressure from the state government as well as Vedanta, a London based mining company, to make way for Bauxite mining.The Dongria tribe and the Niyamgiri Hills For many The plan was to develop a bauxite mine in Niyamgiri hills and supply the material to Vedanta’s alumina refinery. The Khandadhar watershed and forests, which hold […] Explore more for Niyamgiri hills breaking news, opinions, special reports and more on mint. “I was abruptly bundled into a police jeep last October and beaten up in custody. Wherever I go, I meet indigenous people and find connections even though we don’t know each other or each other’s language. Trouble began to brew when in 2004 Vedanta set up a pit-head alumina refinery at Lanjigarh, a nondescript village on the foothills of Niyamgiri. However, the decision offered the tribe only a temporary reprieve, as the court ordered the company's Indian unit, Sterlite Industries,10 to come back with a new proposal for the project. About Bauxite mine Niyamgiri Hills On October 5th, 2004 an official agreement was signed between the Orissa Mining Corporation (OMC) and Sterlite Industries, a subsidiary of Vedanta Resources plc, for the purpose of mining of bauxite reserves at at the foot of … Niyamgiri hills are home to about 8,000 Dongaria Kondh tribes living in 160 villages. Efforts were made to propagate the Kui language in 30 centres. Bauxite is the raw material for alumina and aluminum, and Odisha has 700 million tonnes of known bauxite reserves, of which 88 million tonnes are estimated to be found in Niyamgiri. I believe this is going to be tough. 08 Dec 2020. But when the Supreme Court ruling, in April 2013, said that the village councils should decide whether the state-owned mining corporation could mine the hills for the bauxite or not, all the village councils voted against the mining process. In 2010, the Union Environment Ministry originally rejected Vedanta’s proposal to mine bauxite from the area. “But the shawl gives us prestige when we go to fairs or social events,” said Lakmi Sikaka, a Dongria woman. Court cases and local opposition did not deter the company. Enjoy reading as many articles as you wish without any limitations. The hills reportedly contain 80 million tonnes of bauxite, much of it in a mountain that local Kondh tribes (Dongria and Kutia) worship as their deity, Niyam Raja. Vedanta Ltd has been unable to get final permission for mining bauxite from the Niyamgiri Hills. I hope the programme continues,” said Guha Poonam Tapas Kumar, until recently the collector of Rayagada. Odisha Mining Corporation Limited (OMC), a public sector subsidiary of the government of the State of Odisha in India, approached the apex court of the country (Supreme Court) on 25 February 2016 3 to review an order banning bauxite mining in a biodiverse region inhabited by tribal communities - … Bauxite is the raw material for alumina and aluminum, and Odisha has 700 million tonnes of known bauxite reserves, of which 88 million tonnes are estimated to be found in Niyamgiri. ", 27 October 2015 (Last Updated October 27th, 2015 18:30). They are suspected of being ‘sympathetic’ to Maoists in the area. Unanimous rejection was recorded in July and August 2013. The NSS sees a larger conspiracy. Then, on April 18, 2013, the Supreme Court gave a clear direction that mining clearance can only be given if gram sabhas, comprising Dongrias, agreed to the project. Today a huge gulf in trust has emerged between the government and the Dongria Kondhs. Get the latest Niyamgiri hills news, videos and headlines. We would rather die than think of leading a life outside the hills,” raged Kunuji Kutruga, 60, from Khambesi village. I was asked a volley of questions on my alleged links with left-wing extremists. It wants to dominate the discourse of development in the region and muzzle local voices,” said Lingaraj Azad, convenor of Niyamgiri Suraksha Samiti (NSS), which has been spearheading agitation against mining in Niyamgiri. The film festival, which travelled from Bhubaneswar to Puri and ended in Kurli, a Dongria Kondh village in Rayagada district, showcased the anguish and struggle of indigenous communities in India and around the world. On the sidelines of the annual Niyamraja Festival held recently on the hills, 5,000 ft above sea level, Sikaka vented his anguish. It’s a support for truth and fairness in journalism. The Dongrias say that the process of selecting beneficiaries for old age, widow and disability pensions is a farce. We will fight together,” said Shinta. Resolute Mining’s Syama gold mine workers launch strike. The company planned to mine the Niyamgiri hill range, which is believed to be the home of deity Niyam Rajawhich, who is worshipped by the local Dongria Kondh tribe. NSS is a collective of tribes that has been opposing bauxite mining by Vedanta in Niyamgiri hills since 2003. Hwoever, the tribes opposed Vedanta’s plans and the proposal had to be shelved. Mining bauxite and processing it into aluminium is deadly to the environment. In the same month, Dadhi Pushika was subjected to physical assault after Rayagada police picked him up from the village. The recent report in a section of media about bauxite mining in Niyamgiri hill is just misinterpretation of the facts and far from the truth,” Dr Mukesh Kumar, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of VAL, told “The ET”. ", Custom Designed and Built Underground Mining and Tunnelling Equipment, Heavy-Duty Mechanical Equipment for Mines, Dust Control and Mine Water Solutions for Mining Applications, "The state government has to seek permission from the apex court to start the process again. State by state: the minerals Australia is known for, Metso Outotec sells aluminium business to REEL International, Hargreaves announces sale of speciality coal inventory to German JV HRMS, Epiroc Canada agrees to buy software company MineRP, Oxbotica raises $47m for autonomous mining software, Q&A: Lioness of Africa Andiswa Silinga on geospatial data and mining, Nevada Copper installs materials handling system at Pumpkin Hollow project in US, A $5.8bn fine: questions for Pakistan’s massive mining dispute. Niyamgiri. 2015 ( last Updated October 27th, 2015 18:30 ) three times a day similar police action as... We don ’ t want forests razed to the children are home to 8,000. 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