Tribal Concerns Stalls Vedanta’s Bauxite Mining Plans In Odisha

It seems Anil Agarwal-run Vedanta Group’s wait to mine nine million tonnes of bauxite annually to feed its Lanjigarh refinery in Odisha is now getting longer. That’s because the consent for giving the go ahead is in the hands of the local tribal community. This is evident because the Union Environment Ministry has postponed its decision on Vedanta’s proposal to divert over 700 hectares of Odisha forest for bauxite mining at Rayagada and Kalahandi districts. It may be mentioned that the Odisha High Court has made it clear that affected communities must be taken into confidence before giving clearance to Vedanta Group. Sources say, the key trigger for postponing decision making pertains to concerns raised by local tribes before the Odisha High Court. In fact, the Odisha High Court has flagged allegations of fraudulent Gram Sabha resolutions supporting Vedanta’s mining project. This is why the High Court is insisting on community consent before giving green signal.  Additionally, it also needs to settle issues concerning overlapping compensatory afforestation sites, submit detailed soil erosion control plans, address ecological concerns since the mining project falls under elephant’s habitat area which requires a secured pathway for elephant’s movements.