Bhubaneswar: Noted social activist Medha Patkar will address ‘Loka Adhikara Samabesha’ March 29 in the city, bringing together activists, civil society groups, and concerned citizens, to mark the martyrdom day of Shaheed Laxman Nayak.
On this occasion, a declaration outlining an alternative development vision for Odisha will be released. Following the conclusion of ‘Loka Adhikara Yatra’, leaders of Lok Shakti Abhiyan (LSA) and the National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM) announced during a presser recently.
Addressing the media, LSA national convener Prafulla Samantara, along with Narendra Mahanty and Biswajit of the Gandhi Peace Foundation, said the convention aims to mobilise public opinion against policies that, they allege, are rapidly depleting Odisha’s natural resources.
The Loka Adhikara Yatra, jointly organised by LSA, NAPM’s Odisha unit, and Centre for Climate Justice, started from Satyabhamapur—the birthplace of Madhusudan Das, and concluded in Cuttack March 23, highlighting concerns over unchecked mining and industrial expansion.
Citing findings from the journey and State Economic Survey, the leaders warned that Odisha’s mineral resources could be exhausted within the next 50 years.
They pointed to projections that iron ore reserves may deplete within 30 years and bauxite within 40 years due to indiscriminate mining.
They further cautioned that Odisha’s bauxite-rich mountain ranges—from Gandhamardan in Bargarh to Deomali in Koraput—could face severe ecological damage, threatening rivers, forests, and water systems across several districts.
The groups also raised alarm over coal mining, stating that the excavation of 66 coal blocks could destroy nearly one lakh acres of forest and agricultural land, posing serious risks to regions such as Angul.
Calling for urgent policy changes, the leaders demanded cancellation of indiscriminate mining leases and a shift toward sustainable, employment-intensive development models.
They also alleged suppression of people’s movements in mining-affected areas and urged proper implementation of the Forest Rights Act (2006), PESA, and the Land Acquisition Act (2013).
