Koraput: Thousands of tribal villagers protested on Tuesday at Nandapur in Koraput district, opposing the proposed bauxite mining project at Nageswari Reserve Forest in Balda. The protesters, representing 13 gram sabhas, marched under the banner of Community Forest Resource Management Committees (CRMCs) and submitted a memorandum to President Droupadi Murmu through the local tehsildar.
The demonstrators claimed that the project violates multiple laws, including the Forest Rights Act (2006), PESA Act (1996) and the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution. They argued that mandatory consent from the gram sabhas was not obtained before diverting forest land.
“We won’t allow an inch of land for mining activities,” Sitaram Sisa, CFRMC president, said.
The state govt has allocated the Balda bauxite mine, covering 144.945 hectares with a proposed capacity of 4 MTPA, to a private company. The project includes an 800-TPH crusher and screening plant. The protesters demanded immediate cancellation of the mining lease and annulment of the March 6 public hearing, citing procedural lapses. They warned that the mining activity threatens traditional livelihoods, biodiversity, water sources and sacred sites within the forest.
According to sub-collector (Koraput) Premlal Hial, a public hearing was conducted on March 6, providing villagers an opportunity to raise socio-economic concerns related to the project, with many people participating in the discussion. The proceedings, which were video-graphed, will be sent to the ministry of environment, forest and climate change. “Now, the villagers have submitted a fresh memorandum raising a few concerns and it will be forwarded to the authorities concerned for further action,” the sub-collector said.
Nandapur tehsildar Pravhati Jhodia confirmed the memorandum would be forwarded to the state govt for action.