BHUBANESWAR: Noted environmental activist Prafulla Samantara on Monday urged chief minister Naveen Patnaik to reconsider the decisions for auctions of five mines in virgin forests of Odisha. The auction date has been fixed on January 16.
These are bauxite mines at Balada in Koraput district, Kutur Mali and Siji Mali in Rayagada district, limestone in Uskalvagu of Malkangiri district and Garramura in Nuapada district. “These are very important natural resources to be conserved, protected and saved. Destruction of these resources will cause pollution and climate crisis and make the state resourceless in future,” said the activist.
Samantara said unmindful and indiscriminate mining in the forests and hills will deplete perennial water sources to rivers and dams. It will destroy biodiversity and green vegetation along with the sustainable livelihood system of tribal communities and forest dwellers, he added.
He said the auctions of the five forests will be illegal and undemocratic as the government did not follow constitutional laws and rules according to the Panchayat (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act (or PESA), 1996 and the Forest Rights Act 2006. “The lease for mining should not be allotted without taking consent of Gram Sabhas,” he added.
The activist said the department of steel and mines has not conducted studies on the economic and social impact of mining before allotting mines through auctions. “It is arbitrarily decided to bring corporate houses to loot our resources,” he added.
Besides, the department is planning to auction mines in Sasubohu Mali forest area in Rayagada district. Mining in the forest will pose a threat to many natural streams which are the tributaries of rivers Jhanjabati and Nagabali.
Lingaraj Azad, advisor of Niyamgiri Suraksha Samiti, said many local residents of the forest areas do not know about the problems they will face in the future due to the mining as they are neither consulted nor informed by the government. “Under the PESA and FRA, the forest dwellers have community ownership of the land under the 5th Schedule of the Constitution,” he added.
Bhala Chandra Sarangi, tribal rights activist, said the government is going for an auction keeping the local people in the dark. “The locals, mostly tribals, should be informed about this by arranging Gram Sabhas. I request the chief minister to stop the auctions to be held after a few days for five mines,” he added.
He said the natural resources in the state should not be destroyed for mere revenue collection.
