Bauxite mining will ruin tribal life: Cess

HYDERABAD: Even as the state government is going ahead full steam with its plan to begin mining the huge bauxite reserves in the Agency areas of Visakhapatnam district, a recent study by the Centre for Economics and Social Sciences (Cess) has become the latest to warn that such a move would be a human as well as environmental disaster.
The Cess study, which was completed about 10 days ago, held that majority of the tribal people affected by the mining will lose their livelihood and that despite promises by the state government, the illiterate tribals are unlikely to get jobs in the highly mechanised bauxite mining units. In all, 270 villages comprising tribal populations belonging to the Bhagata, Khond, Konda Reddi, Samantha and other communities will be displaced, it said.
The state government recently signed two Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) with Jindal Southwest Holdings Limited and Ras Al Khaima (from UAE) respectively to carry out bauxite mining in the Agency area and the issue had rocked the state assembly for two consecutive days during the budget session.
The study titled "Bauxite Mining in Eastern Ghats: Mapping of Livelihoods of Affected Communities" conducted by Cess in collaboration with Samata, a tribal organisation, brought into focus several investigations into the controversial mining activities in the region that voiced concern over the disastrous impact of bauxite mining.
According to government estimates, there are 1,000 million tonnes of bauxite reserves in the 24 hills spread over an extent of 384 kms from Anatagiri in Visakhapatnam district to Gurtedu in East Godavari. The Cess study is the latest in a series of reports that have been warning against undertaking the mining of the bauxite reserves.
As early as in 2001, a report by Tata Energy Research Institute (Teri) had said that if the mining is undertaken, at least 10,000 trees will have to be pulled out and that the state will lose Rs 1,520 crore in terms of environmental degradation like soil erosion. Teri had also warned that the mining seriously threatened the Girija lifestyle and the eco-system of the Eastern Ghats.
In the latest study, Cess has challenged the state government claims on the mining activity providing employment to the tribals. Mines and geology minister Sabita Indra Reddy had claimed in the budget session that the mining would provide direct employment to 3,000 people and to 10,000 others indirectly. The mining units would be heavily mechanised and hence would require the minimal of human labour, it said.