PUBLIC HEARING FOR OMC’s BAUXITE MINE POSTPONED DUE TO SHEER DISCONTENTMENT: ADMN BUDGED TO PEOPLE’S RESISTANCE
Badal Tah,Odishabarta
RAYAGADA, November 25: Rayagada administration was almost compelled to stall the public hearing, which was scheduled last Wednesday by 11 AM at the playground of Utkalamani Gopabandhu High School at Pahundi under Podapadi GP in Kashipur block. Purpose of this hearing was for expansion of Kodingamali Bauxite mine of Odisha Mining Corporation(OMC), a state owned PSU, for proposed production capacity from three Million Tonnes Per Annum(MTPA) to 6 MPTA in the mining lease area of 428.075 ha.
During 2008, the environment clearance was accorded to OMC to have a joint venture with M/s Hindalco Industries Limited with its refinery at Kansariguda village of Rayagada district, 3 kms away from the mining lease area. The treated waste water from the refinery was supposed be used by the mines. Around 1200 acres of land by HINDALCO was acquired. So, the local people had great hopes of economic opportunities. Several modifications and re-modifications of the mining plan went on for years. Though there were serious issues pertaining to tribals like PESA Act, Forest Rights Act, etc, they were never mentioned in the feasibility report of OMC. Unfortunately, the joint venture agreement with HINDALCO was cancelled and OMC started mining in solo basis and supplied the ore to VEDANTA. Since the beginning of the mining operation in 2017, the locals alongwith the PRI members and Laxmipur MLA were disgruntled regarding non-establishment of the refinery. Nevertheless they did not leave hope. During January 2020, Naveen Govt’s High Level Clearance Authority (HLCA), the apex body to clear investment projects in Odisha approved a new greenfield alumina refinery unit, proposed by Hindalco Industries. The project will have an investment of Rs 8,000 crores and is proposed to come up at Kansariguda near Rayagada in Odisha. It will create an employment for 4,250 people. People of Rayagada and Koraput lauded this initiative of Naveen Patatnaik; but till date no initiative was taken to fulfil the long cherished hope of locals.
Adding salt to the injury, State Pollution Control Board(SPCB) announced a Public Hearing for expansion of mining by OMC. The latent anger of the people erupted. The PRI members and local leaders started resisting this hearing by saying “Refinery first, then mining”. Local MP Saptagiri Ulaka echoed the pulse of the people by saying,”I am not against development and mining. But the people’s genuine and rightful aspiration should not be negated by the state which promised to have a refinery plant in the vicinity of the mine. If no plant, then no mine.”
There is an anomaly in the area covering mining lease. A lok sabha unstarred question no. 2117 by Ms Chandrani Murmu, which was answered on 04.03.2020 depicted the location of Kodingamali as Protected Forest covering an area of 428.31 ha whereas the forest deptt mentions it as Reserve Forest covering an area of 428.075 ha. OMC documents mention that there are 6 Reserve Forests and 12 Protected Forests in the buffer zone of the mine.This is a 50 years lease where date of execution of the lease deed is 11.01.2017 and expiry of the lease date is 10.01.2067; but the information available in OMC website mentions the lease dates from10.01.17 to 09.01.67.
There seems to be hotch potch by the Forest Deptt in claiming the amount towards Net Present Value from OMC. Kodingamali mine covers reserve forest land area in both Laxmipur block of Koraput district and Kashipur block of Rayagada district. During 2017, Koraput DFO demanded Rs.2,48,28,250 for diverting this entire forest land of 428.075 ha including 18.098 ha in Safety Zone @ Rs.58000 per ha towards Net Present Value(NPV). For outside the mining lease area, DFO also demanded Rs. 42,94,360 for another 6.860 ha for construction of road @ Rs.6,26,000 per ha. So in toto 434.935 hectares of Reserve Forest were diverted for the purpose for which an amount of Rs.2,91,22,610 was demanded by DFO to be deposited electronically in CAMPA a/c of Forest dept tog GOI. Though the entire patch comes under Kodingamali Reserve Forest, a small patch of 6.860 ha was shown as Class-III and for the rest NPV was fixed at throw away price incurring a loss of Rs.24,31,46,700.
The local people along with the PRI members locked the gate of the high school where the public hearing was scheduled. In fitness of things, the govt must keep its announcement of establishing a refinery plant at Kansariguda and work on the trust deficit of the locals, said several PRI leaders. The administration along with police was fully prepared to conduct the hearing. But apprehending a law and order situation, Collector Sri Pramod Kumar Behera rightly postponed the hearing and budged to the sheer resistance of the people.
