Odisha: Protests stop public hearing for bauxite mine operations at Mali Hills

The Koraput district administration in Odisha on Wednesday stopped the first public hearing for operation of bauxite mines at Mali Hills in the wake of protests by local people and a section of environmentalists, an official said.The protestors broke chairs and the tent erected for holding the meeting at Kankada Amba under Semiliguda police station, according to eyewitnesses.Public hearing is mandatory as per the law before going ahead with the mining operation in areas inhabited by tribal people.

The Koraput district administration in Odisha on Wednesday stopped the first public hearing for operation of bauxite mines at Mali Hills in the wake of protests by local people and a section of environmentalists, an official said.

The protestors broke chairs and the tent erected for holding the meeting at Kankada Amba under Semiliguda police station, according to eyewitnesses.

Public hearing is mandatory as per the law before going ahead with the mining operation in areas inhabited by tribal people. Bauxite mining at Mali Hills, a sacred place for the local tribal population, was awarded to Hindalco.

The district administration with help of the Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) had organised the public hearing to obtain environment clearance for annual mining of 0.6 MT of bauxite at Mali hills spread over 268.11 hectares of land across Aligaon, Sorispadar and Kankada Amba village under two tehsils of Pottangi and Semiliguda.

"Villagers created disturbances at the public hearing for which it couldn't be completed. The district administration will decide on the future course of action," OSPCB regional officer P K Kar said.

Officials of the district administration and Hindalco refused to comment on the matter.

Bauxite mining at Mali Hills to develop aluminium was awarded to Hindalco in 2005. However, the company was forced to stop operations due to opposition by local villagers who started protesting under the aegis of Mali Parvat Surakhya Samiti (MPSS).

"We don't want to destroy our Mali hills. We worship Mali hills and will not allow mining there at any cost," MPSS member Dasi Nandibali said.

He claimed that over 36 water sources will get dry and farmland of more than 40 villages of Semiliguda block will be affected if mining operations start at Mali Hills. Efforts to extract Bauxite from nearby Niyamgiri hills was stopped following protests by local people a few years ago. Mining major Vedanta had signed a deal with state-owned Odisha Mining Corporation to mine over 900 million tonnes of recoverable bauxite deposits from Niyamgiri hills. Niyamgiri hills are also regarded by local tribal people as the abode of their reigning deity.