BHUBANESWAR: Even as the beleaguered Vedanta Resources Ltd desperately looks for an alternative bauxite mine in the State, pressure is mounting on the State Government to keep bauxite out of reach of private companies.
Activists and anti-displacement brigade on Saturday demanded a ban on bauxite mining in the State saying that the Central PSU Nalco is good enough for now.
The PSU aluminium major has its mine at Koraput’s Panchpatmali and it has reserves for next 60 years. Besides, Birla has been granted lease for Baflimali despite resistance from tribals of Rayagada, National Alliance of People’s Movements said here today and demanded that there is no case for leasing out other bauxite reserves to other companies.
Of the 3,010 million tonne bauxite reserves, 60 per cent is found in the State. Besides, Panchpatmali, Baflimali and the controversial Niyamgiri hills, Deomali and Kodingamali (in Koraput), Kuturmali, Sijimali (in Rayagada), Karlapat, Khandualmali (Kalahandi) and Gandhamardan (in the Balangir-Baragarh districts) have bauxite deposits.
“Bauxite mining has serious environmental consequences. It dries off the water streams and leads to heavy pollution. Besides, there is serious resistance from the tribals,” said Prafulla Samantray, convenor of the National Alliance.
If the deposits are given away to the companies for mining, a number of important streams that feed major rivers such as Banshadhara, Nagabali, Kolab, Tel, Hati and Suktel will face crisis in a few years.
The State Government should immediately take a decision not to recommend any lease for bauxite mines, the alliance said.
Samantray was of the view that bauxite does not have any international market price and is generally guided by Metal Stock Exchange of London which has several companies enlisted to it. “It is unfortunate that the India’s bauxite policy is controlled by the international alumina cartel,” he said.
What the State gets as royalty is a fraction of what the companies get in international market. The State Government must demand before the Centre to fix a policy and price mechanism in its own interest, said the alliance.
It has sought constitution of a committee to study underlying issues so that a clear-cut policy guideline can be formulated.