Environmental activists, social workers and others present at the venue of a public meeting in Kankadaamba village in the tribal-dominated Similiguda block of Koraput to discuss a proposed bauxite mining project in Odisha’s Koraput district on 22 September expressed concerns about the threats to the Mali hillock and forest, which is the site of the project by Hindalco Industries Ltd. Members of the Mali Parbat Suraksha Samiti, Save Mali Hill Committee, staged a protest, holding placards which demanded that officials cancel the mining at the site. They said “We urged officials of the Odisha State Pollution Control Board and the district administration to protect the hillock and forest by not allowing any company to mine bauxite from the Mali hill.”The agitators exchanged heated words with the government and company authorities. This led to commotion and tension at the public hearing. They ransacked the venue and damaged the stage. Meeting was postponed due to the disturbancesThe Mali and forest area are home to large numbers of Kondha, Paraja and Gadaba tribespeople, who are spread across 44 villages. Mali hill is the source of 36 perennial streams which fed the waters of the Kolab River. Tribals irrigated their land with the water of the Kolab. Mining will disturb groundwater, air and soil in the vicinity.
Environmental activists, social workers and others present at the venue of a public meeting in Kankadaamba village in the tribal-dominated Similiguda block of Koraput to discuss a proposed bauxite mining project in Odisha’s Koraput district on 22 September expressed concerns about the threats to the Mali hillock and forest, which is the site of the project by Hindalco Industries Ltd. Members of the Mali Parbat Suraksha Samiti, Save Mali Hill Committee, staged a protest, holding placards which demanded that officials cancel the mining at the site. They said “We urged officials of the Odisha State Pollution Control Board and the district administration to protect the hillock and forest by not allowing any company to mine bauxite from the Mali hill.”The agitators exchanged heated words with the government and company authorities. This led to commotion and tension at the public hearing. They ransacked the venue and damaged the stage. Meeting was postponed due to the disturbancesThe Mali and forest area are home to large numbers of Kondha, Paraja and Gadaba tribespeople, who are spread across 44 villages. Mali hill is the source of 36 perennial streams which fed the waters of the Kolab River. Tribals irrigated their land with the water of the Kolab. Mining will disturb groundwater, air and soil in the vicinity.
