Vedanta Alumina’s Red Mud Process Water Spill at Lanjigarh is a Toxic Red Terror & Ecological Sin – Seva Bharati
Rayagada (Badal Tah) : Process Water Lake(PWL) of Red mud pond covering 327.62 acres including embankment, filtration unit, toe drain, catchment pond, diversion canal, etc of Vedanta Company in Lanjigarh collapsed during wee hours of 15th September, 2024. Hundreds of acres of agriculture land in the area have been flooded causing tremendous loss to flora and fauna. Tension aroused among local communities, who are mostly tribals, dalits and poor farmers alongside Bansadhara river. The breach has triggered flooding, inundating hectares of agricultural land in Bandhaguda, Bundel, Chhatraur, Turiguda, Bathelima and Basantapada areas in Kalahandi district & Pedipadar, Gouda Chandankhunti, Sibapadar, Kumudabali in Rayagada dist. The affected areas faced a flood-like situation, with farmlands swamped by red mud. The quantum of heavily toxic material that has flown out is estimated at 3 lac cubic metre, ie, 30 crore litres. Local residents alleged that there has been negligence in maintaining the facility by Vedanta which led to its collapse. They allege that improper construction and inadequate upkeep of the infrastructure caused the accident. Locals are also questioning why the facility was built in such an unsafe manner, especially given its proximity to human settlement.
Affected locals gathered at the alumina refinery to protest and sought compensation for their losses. Complain was made to State Pollution Control Board by activists. Bhawanipatna MLA was furious over the collapsed of red mud pond of Vedanta Company. There was Rail Roko in Rayagada dist. Series of news in national daily news papers, vernacular dailies of Odisha, social media like utube & local web channels & electronic media. As rehabilitation measures were inadequate, residents of Bundel village blocked the main gate of the Company. FIR was lodged in Muniguda Police station by the affected people. Grievance petition was filed before Rayagada Collector by the affected people. In the context of the above, a fact finding team from Sewa Bharati under the aegis of Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangha with the advice from Sri Jagadish Khadanga, Saha Kshetra Pracharak, RSS & Sri Shankar Panda, Prant Pracharak(Odisha Paschim), RSS resolved to conduct an aerial brief study of the incident and recommend probable remedial measures to be taken by VEDANTA company and Odisha State Govt. A brief report of the fact finding team consisting of Dr Badal kumar Tah, Advocate, Social Worker & Sr Journalist, Bijaya Mishra, Farmer Entrepreneur & Pisciculturist, Shyam Kumar Dash, Prant Sachib, SAKSHAM(an organization to empower Divyangs), Odisha Paschim & Dipak Kumar Rout – Prant Seva Pramukh, Odisha Paschim was shared with the media persons in Rayagada district headquarters during a press conference held on last Wednesday. The team rued that no political party till date neither has sent their team for any investigation nor taken any stand on this manmade disaster by Vedanta Company. The affected villagers say that they see these kind of catastrophes created by Vedanta over a period of time and are used to it by depending upon their providence. The team has sent its reports to several state and national agencies namely pollution control boards, environment ministries, agriculture and animal husbandry ministries, etc. It has recommended that Vedanta Company must be held squarely accountable of the entire incident and must pay back for all the remedial measures. The Govt authorities, who monitored this project of Vedanta, should also be held responsible. The concerned authorities in VEDANTA & GOVT must be taken to task with immediate effect. A detailed study(in the villages to be mapped jointly) should by expert organistions on short & long term impacts. Possible treatment of soil with mineral acids, coating it with coal dust or mixing it with silicate materials to reduce its harmful effects should be done. Landscape remediation & soil-restoration in all the affected villages alongside Bansadhara River should be taken up. Compensation amounting Rs.1 lakh per acre or at least, three times of the loss should be provided to the farmer as soon as possible. Next crop assistance to all the affected villages in association with OUAT should be provided at least for next five years. An immediate regulatory focus on risk assessments by national agency like CPCB, NGT & others must be made with immediate effect. Fish population recovery measures should be taken up with help of CIFA, Kaushalyaganga, Bhubaneswar. Fauna recovery measures should be taken with help of OUAT, MANAGE, ILS & other experts. Down Stream/River sediment survey must be done by a competent authority and recovery from alkalinity with underwater flora and fauna with pH neutralization should be done. Company should provide assistance for production of fodder crops on the land after proper treatment for at least next five years. Govt should facilitate formation of an Advisory committee downstream Bansadhara River including Seva Bharati and conduct meeting as & when needed at least once in a quarter. Life Cycle Assessment of the Red Mud Pond, PWL must be done in the presence of community leaders, enterprising farmers from the downstream and experts. Immediate assessments of terrestrial flora & fauna affected by the spill till the end of Bansadhara river and its tributaries must be conducted. Soil & Water Biological Quality Index Tests need to be done with immediate effect.
