indiaprwire.com, Dec 9, 2009
There has been a sudden movement of foreigners / foreign NGOs in Lanjigarh, Kalahandi district in the past few days. Strangely foreigners coming on tourist visa from countries like Italy, Germany, Australia, Denmark, UK etc. have become frequent and they are freely moving in the region.
Udaipur, Rajasthan, December 9, 2009 /India PRwire/ -- Recently the statement of Hon'ble Steel and Mines Minister of Orissa, Mr. Raghunath Mohanty, stating that 'Not a single tribal family would be displaced due to this mining project' and also that 'No Dongria Kondha tribe live at the proposed mining area of Lanjigarh located between Rayagada and Kalahandi districts' has been a lot unrest in the foreign NGOs who have been circulating a lot of false information about the entire mining activity in Orissa.
There has been a sudden movement of foreigners / foreign NGOs in Lanjigarh, Kalahandi district in the past few days. Strangely foreigners coming on tourist visa from countries like Italy, Germany, Australia, Denmark, UK etc. have become frequent and they are freely moving in the region. These people have been forcedly interacting with local tribals and disturbing their peace. A local NGO is supporting the visits. The local people have taken this very seriously and are opposing their entry into their region. The unrest has also got reported to local police authorities who are now looking into the matter of this sudden movement of foreign NGOs including Survival International. These foreign NGOs are provoking innocent tribals to defame the government and the company, Vedanta Group. This is being done to create misunderstanding and an environment of unrest before the visit of Central Team of MoEF that is scheduled to visit the Niyamgiri shortly.
The world is taking note of India starting bauxite mining after a gap of over 25 years. Once the bauxite mine at Niyamgiri starts, India will be placed as one of the largest aluminium producer in the world.
Niyamgiri range of hills has 250 sq. cm large foot print. The actual mineralization area in the proposed mining project is only 3.5% KM, that also having a depth of about 30 metres on the top. This truth has put a complete dent on the false information being circulated by these foreign NGOs that proposed mining will completely destroy the Niyamgiri mountain. Actually speaking, Bauxite extraction will actually benefit the environment, because it removes a hard rocky layer called laterite which would allow rain water to percolate deep inside the soil, increasing afforestation post-mining. Vedanta highlighted that with the use of best technology the plant is meeting all the required compliances in respect of air and water pollution, rather Lanjigarh Refinery is amongst the few in the world to have attained zero discharge status.
The Orissa government has constituted a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) in the name of Lanjigarh Project Area Development Foundation (LDADF), with contribution of State Government as 25%, Orissa Mining Corporation as 26% and Sterlite Industries Ltd as 49%, as directed by the Supreme Court. The Revenue Divisional Commissioner (RDC) - Southern Division is the Chairman of the Special Purpose Vehicle which on its first meeting itself decided to take up development projects worth Rs. 17.70 crore in the areas of health, education, road, infrastructure development that are required for the upliftment of Dongria and Kutia Kondha tribes, the Minister added.
Earlier, the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India, while granting permission vide the judgement dated August 8, 2008, had looked all aspects including tribal development, wild life impact, environment impact, and sustainable development in the area connected with this project, taking into account all arguments, and came to the conclusion that starting mining operation at Niyamgiri Hills, subject to fulfilment of all statutory requirement, will definitely give a boost to the development of the entire area. Since mining is an important source of revenue generation, such projects should be encouraged along with principle of sustainable development so that these areas can be brought to the main line, the Hon'ble Court had observed.
The Hon'ble Supreme Court of India also observed that there is abject poverty in the area and the area is lacking with regards to health, education, infrastructure, communication, to name a few. On the recommendation of the apex court, the Company agreed for investing 5% of the profit or Rs. 10 crore, which ever is more, from this project, for the developmental works within 50 km of the project area.
Vedanta has been saying this all along that bauxite is a hard rock that exists above 900 metres from the surface and therefore the Niyamgiri hills are neither crop nor inhabitants-friendly.
The bauxite-alumina project at Lanjigarh in Kalahandi district in Orissa would initiate investment of over Rs. 10,000 crore by Vedanta. Over 5000 local people have worked to build the Lanjigarh Plant. Kalahandi district of Orissa is one of the most backward district in India and the project is expected to change the profile of the entire district bringing considerable direct and indirect employment, infrastructure development, community development, social-economic development and empowerment.
Mines are generally located in the remote areas and development of such projects not only bring prosperity of that area but also add considerable value to the State's exchequer.
India is a mineral rich country and at par with countries like Canada, Australia, South Africa and Brazil. The minerals have contributed significantly to the GDP's of these countries and have become alternative source of revenue to the government. The same model should work for India as well.
Notes to Editor
Recently the statement of Hon'ble Steel and Mines Minister of Orissa, Mr. Raghunath Mohanty, stating that 'Not a single tribal family would be displaced due to this mining project' and also that 'No Dongria Kondha tribe live at the proposed mining area of Lanjigarh located between Rayagada and Kalahandi districts' has been a lot unrest in the foreign NGOs who have been circulating a lot of false information about the entire mining activity in Orissa.
Vedanta gets shocked by NGO influx in its mines
commodityonline.com, Dec 9, 2009
MUMBAI (Commodity Online): Sudden influx of many foreign NGO volunteers have caused Vedanta Group’s Lanjigarh division to divert from its regular activities to that of clearing off allegations of environmental degradation.
Kalahandi in Orissa is the scene of action and tribal’s that the NGOs led by Survival International claims are to be displaced by mining activity are the protagonists. Character players include ministers to government officials and it seems Orissa government could contemplate action against these intrusions
On one side of the story are the mining license holders, Vedanta group and the license givers, government of Orissa led by Steel and Mines Minister, Raghunath Mohanty. On the other side are a strong environmental lobby and anti-displacement group led by many NGOs.
Sandwiched between these two are the tribal on whose land the main activity is going to take place. One side argues that it is better for the tribal to fend themselves without any outside intrusion; the other side argues they need development and upliftment and cannot be left at primitive stages.
It is not clear what the affected tribal wants since they don’t have a lobby to represent. But their cause is officially taken care by the Orissa government and according to Mohanty, “not a single tribal family would be displaced due to this mining project' and also that 'No Dongria Kondha tribe live at the proposed mining area of Lanjigarh located between Rayagada and Kalahandi districts'.
The latest salvo that NGOs have fired is for the protection of Dongria Kondha tribe, traditional land owners of this region. The entire march of a large number of foreign nationals into these tribal region is to protect this tribe. Mining companies say these NGOs find these tribal as victims only when there are development in the region. Otherwise, these tribe were unknown to the outside world.
Because of this friction, the beautiful regions of Kalahandi have become sensitive areas, more dangerous than most volatile areas of India. Vedanta has always claimed they do their best in both environmental upgradation, rehabilitating displaced people and also CSR activities in larges scale helping thousands of villages.
Vedanta is of the view that the entire activity has begun to move focus towards creating a negative atmosphere just ahead of the visit of Central Team of MoEF that is scheduled to visit the Niyamgiri shortly.
According to Dr.Mukesh Kumar COO Vedanta Lanjigarh, India is starting bauxite mining after a gap of over 25 years and that once the bauxite mine at Niyamgiri starts, India will be placed as one of the largest aluminum producer in the world, there are dark forces working behind these activities, a charge NGOs present in the region vehemently denies.
“The real fact is being suppressed under the name of environmental degradation. It claims Bauxite extraction will actually benefit the environment, because it removes a hard rocky layer called laterite, which would allow rainwater to percolate deep inside the soil, increasing afforestation post-mining,” he said.
Vedanta highlighted that with the use of best technology the plant is meeting all the required compliances in respect of air and water pollution, rather Lanjigarh Refinery is amongst the few in the world to have attained zero discharge status.
The Orissa government has constituted a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) in the name of Lanjigarh Project Area Development Foundation (LDADF), with contribution of State Government as 25%, Orissa Mining Corporation as 26% and Sterlite Industries Ltd as 49%, as directed by the Supreme Court.
Earlier, the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India, while granting permission vide the judgement dated August 8, 2008, had looked all aspects including tribal development, wild life impact, environment impact, and sustainable development in the area connected with this project, taking into account all arguments, and came to the conclusion that starting mining operation at Niyamgiri Hills, subject to fulfillment of all statutory requirement, will definitely give a boost to the development of the entire area.
Supreme Court of India also observed that there is abject poverty in the area and the area is lacking with regards to health, education, infrastructure, communication, to name a few. On the recommendation of the apex court, the Company agreed for investing 5% of the profit or Rs. 10 crore, which ever is more, from this project, for the developmental works within 50 km of the project area.
Bhubaneswar (Orissa) : The entire Royal fraternity in Orissa has geared up to accord a red carpet welcome to former Nepal King Gyanedra.
The former King and his wife Komal will remain in the State from five days starting from December 8. They would attend a marriage ceremony of their family relative and king of erstwhile Mayurbhanj royal family Prabin Chandra Bhanj Deo.
Bhanj Deo is State’s Sports and Youth Services Minister.
King Tribhuvan, Gyanendra's grandfather, had two queens who bore him three sons and four daughters. One of them, Princess Bharati, married the former king of Mayurbhanj in India's Odisha State, Pradeep Chandra Bhanj Deo.
One of their daughters, the Kolkata-born Padma Manjari, married a scion of the former royal family of Kalahandi in Orissa and erstwhile Janata Dal leader Udit Pratap Deo.
