BHUBANESWAR/BERHAMPUR: The public hearing for environmental clearance of the Sijimali bauxite mining project in the Rayagada district was completed on Monday. Additional district magistrate of Rayagada, Rameswar Pradhan, who presided over the public hearing told TNIE that it was peacefully completed. He said the hearing was held for one hour and 25 minutes and villagers were allowed to give their opinion.
Opinions of the villagers, both for and against, were heard and recorded, he said and added that the public hearing was held pertaining to environmental clearance of the mining project. Pradhan further informed that the public hearing was videographed and it will be sent to the Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB). A decision about the issue will be taken at the government level, he added.
Sources, however, maintained that several villagers of Kantamal, Bundel and Sirambai raised concern over the mining of bauxite and maintained that mining will pollute the environment. The administration has also received support letters for the project, which they believe would bring in development and also provide employment opportunities to the local people.
The public hearing was conducted at Trinath Dev High School in Sunger near Kashipur of Rayagada amid tight security. The ADM said the public hearing was over without any violence while people came to the venue and aired their suggestions and objections freely. A second public hearing for environment clearance for Sijimali will be conducted in Kalahandi district on October 18.
Vedanta Limited was declared as the preferred bidder for Sijimal block with an estimated reserve of 311 million tonnes of bauxite in February 2023. But consent of the entire adult population of the villages through gram sabhas is mandatory before exploiting the natural resources as the mining area is spread over 18 villages in these districts classified under Schedule V in the constitution due to the majority tribal population.