Environmentalist Medha Patakar and other activists detained in Rayagada

Report
Dr. Badal Tah, Rayagada, June 5: Eminent environmentalist Medha Patkar of Narmada Bachao Andolan fame and other activists namely Lingaraj from Paschima Odisha Krushak Samannoya Samiti, Narendra Mohanty got detained by police at Rayagada railway station. They were supposed to attend a meeting at Sunger Hatapada on the eve of World Environment day and address a protest against operation Sijimali Bauxite Mines in the boarder of Kashipur block of Rayagada district and Thuamul Rampur block of Kalahandi district. Sijimali is the captive mines of Vedanta Alumina Refineries at Lanjigarh, Kalahandi. Recently Vedanta has got permission from Govt for extraction of bauxite ores from Sijimali mines. An outfit named Ma Mati Surakhya Mancha is vehemently opposing this move of Vedanta. Medha alongwith other activists were supposed to attend the mass meet led by the Manch.

“It has been reported by the SP, Rayagada vide her Letter No. 1049/DIB, dated 04.06.2025 that there is an anti-mining Dharna at Sunger Haat, Sijimali Area Kashipur on 5thJune 2025 and the situation demands immediate action as it may create law and order situation. .As per the said report of SP, the presence of following persons namely Medha Patkar,NewDelh, Prafulla Samantaray,Berhampur, NarendraMahanty, Balangir, Lingara jAzad, Bhabanipatna, LelinKumar, Bhubaneswar, Raja@RajaRanjan, Koraput, Saranya Kumari, Koraput, Rajkishor Sunani, Bhawanipatna, Madhusudan Sethy,Berhampur, RasmitaTete, Koraput, Britik Kumar, Karlapat, Dr.Randall Sequeira, Bhawanipatna, Sunanda Jhodia, IRS, Posting at Assam, Suresh Sangram ,Bhabanipatna, Sumanta Sunani, Bhabanipatna, Satya Meher, Bhabanipatna, Sanata Sangram, Bargarh, Manisha Pradhan, Bhubaneswar, Krushna Mahapatro,Kashipur, Upendra Bagh, Muniguda, Drinju Hikaka, Lakpadar, Niyamgiri, Krushna Katraka, Lakpadar, Niyamgiri, Sumanta Parida,Rayagada, Jalamani Naik,Rayagada may create law & order situation in the area”, said the Collector Parul Patawari’s order no 1556/VII-14/2025 dated 4th June 2025. The same order also mentions that there is a reasonable apprehension of their movement & presence in Rayagada district may lead to deterioration of law & order , disturb public peace and hinder smooth conduct of administrative affairs & development process in the district. Therefore in exercise of the powers conferred under Sec 163(3) of Bharatiya Nagarik Surakhya Sanhita,2023, Collector hereby issues prohibiting order restricting the above named individuals from entering or remaining present in Rayagada district for a period of two months from the date of issue of this order & participating in or instigating any form of protest, Dharana or unlawful assemblies within the said area. Any violation of this order shall be liable for action as per the law.Preventive arrests of some prominent activists belonging to Maa Mati Surakhya Mancha were made last Tuesday. As Prafulla Samantara of Loka Shakti Abhiyan is already camping in Kashipur, he was not seen with Medha in Rayagada. Medha is concerned over such action of the district administration and said that they were not terrorists to be detained by police. She appealed the public of Rayagada to be sensitive to the environmental issues of the region and take charge of the critical situation. The detained activists alongwith Medha were sent to Brahmapur by Rayagada police. It is learnt from senior scribe and Social Activist Rabi Rath from Brahmapur that Medha has a programme on 6th to address environment issues pertaining to Rushikulya river. On 7th she will have a public meeting at Lohiya Academy at Bhubaneswar.