Bhubaneswar: A delegation of concerned citizens met Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi Friday and urged the state government to impose restrictions on new bauxite mining projects, citing concerns over ecological degradation, tribal rights and the sustainability of the state’s natural resources. The delegation, comprising former administrators, senior citizens, academics, environmentalists and public representatives, handed over a letter to the CM signed by several prominent citizens, including former Chief Secretary Yugal Mahapatra, former DGP AB Tripathy, former administrators Sanjib Hota and Arabinda Behera, senior journalist Rabi Das, academics Jayakrushna Panigrahi and professor Palita, and retired Chief Conservator of Forests BK Pattnaik.
The group, functioning without affiliation to any political party, called for a more cautious approach to mineral-led development and urged the government to ensure that economic growth does not come at the cost of forests, biodiversity, water resources and the rights of local communities. The delegation expressed particular concern over reports of the proposed leasing of the 248-million-tonne Karlapat Bauxite Block in Kalahandi district. The block, spread over 1,822.61 hectares, forms part of the landscape associated with the Karlapat Wildlife Sanctuary and is considered ecologically significant, the signatories said.
They also raised concerns over the rapid expansion of bauxite mining across the Eastern Ghats, particularly in Koraput, Rayagada and Kalahandi districts. The letter referred to several bauxite blocks, including Sasu-bohu Mali, Kar nakonda, Sijimali, Kutruma li, Seubandh, Panchpatmali, Baphilimali and Kodingamali, where mining or proposed mining activities are either underway or being pursued. According to the group, the cumulative impact of these projects could have serious consequences for forests, biodiversity, water sources and tribal livelihoods. They said many tribal communities depend directly on forests, agricultural land, streams and other natural resources for their livelihoods.
The signatories also highlighted long-standing opposition from local communities to mining in areas such as Mali Parbat in Koraput and alleged that concerns over coercive measures and attempts to influence Gram Sabha proceedings needed serious attention. “Gram Sabhas must be held in spaces where communities can deliberate freely and express their views without fear or pressure,” the letter said, urging the government to act as an impartial protector of citizens’ rights rather than merely facilitating industrial interests.
The delegation urged CM to moderate the pace of mineral extraction and avoid mining in biodiversity-rich and ecologically sensitive areas. The citizens also called for alternative development pathways that place sustainability, social justice and the rights and dignity of Odisha’s people at the centre of the state’s development agenda.
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