The Dongria Kondh tribe of Niyamgiri Hills are among the best conservationists in the world. Known for the spirited defence of their forested habitat against short-sighted industrialisation, they have through millennia evolved a lifestyle that is in perfect harmony with nature. Across India, there are scores of indigenous people who …
The Dongria Kondh tribe of Niyamgiri Hills are among the best conservationists in the world. Known for the spirited defence of their forested habitat against short-sighted industrialisation, they have through millennia evolved a lifestyle that is in perfect harmony with nature. Across India, there are scores of indigenous people who …
NEW DELHI: Global Witness, an international organization whose aim is to expose links between the demand for natural resources, corruption, armed conflict and environmental destruction, released on Thursday a report that showed that environment and land rights activists faced heightened risk - there were, across the world, at least 200 …
Goldman Environment (Green Nobel) prize winner Prafulla Samatara remembered Rabi Ray, the founder member of Lokshakti Abhijan, and gave him the credit for the award. Addressing mediapersons, he said, “Rabi Ray was the inspiration and motivation behind my social activism.” Besides, he gave credit to all the community based sangathans …
BHUBANESWAR: Tribals of Niyamgiri on Tuesday sought the intervention of Governor SC Jamir to stop the State Government from trying to convene gram sabha meetings again for bauxite mining in the hills, an area sacred for Dongoria Kondhs and other scheduled tribes. Niyamgiri Suraksha Sangram Samiti and Lokshakti Abhijan, fighting …
Mining industry Supreme Court had ruled in April 2013 that the Vedanta Group’s bauxite mining project in the Niyamgiri hills will have to get clearance from the gram sabhas The Odisha government on Thursday moved the Supreme Court wanting reconvening of gram sabhas so as to take another look into …
BHAWANIPATNA: Green activists have raised their voice against the move by the State Government, which has recently filed an interlocutory application in the Supreme Court, seeking fresh ‘palli sabhas’ to reconsider mining of bauxite from Niyamgiri Hills through Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC). Former Union minister and Chief Advisor of Green …
The bauxite mining project had suffered a jolt two years ago, after all 12 gram sabhas held in and around the Niyamgiri hill range voted unanimously against it The Odisha government, through its mining arm Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC), has moved the Supreme Court for conduct of fresh gram sabhas …
Mukuna Sikaka, 32, is a visitor to the health camp held by the local administration at Sakata village in the Rayagada district, around 30 km from here, the site of Vedanta's alumina refinery. Such health camps exclusively for particularly vulnerable tribal groups like the Dongaria Kondhs were unheard of in …
Organisations like Niyamgiri Surakshya Samity (NSS), Lok Sangram Manch (LSM) and All India Kisan Mazdoor Sabha (AIKMS) have decided to restart organising people’s movement against alleged attempt of Odisha government to revive proposal of bauxite mining in Niyamgiri hill range. These organisations had played a key role during the agitation …
With pulses too expensive and unavailable on PDS, the urban and rural poor are relying heavily on starch for sustenance Women and men working on the hillsides is a common sight when travelling through Odisha's Kandhamal district. All day, they crouch in the scorching sun, using crude tools to break …
Dongria Kondh tribals in Kalahandi and Ryagada districts on Wednesday demanded a complete withdrawal of the Vedanta Aluminium Ltd (VAL) from the area since the Palli Sabhas held under the directive of the Supreme Court had already given their verdict against mining of bauxite in the Niyamgiri Hills. Dongria Kondh …
Vedanta Aluminium (VAL) is targeting to achieve a capacity utilisation of 80-90% this month, boosted by availability of bauxite from several sources, even as its plans for captive mining in Odisha remains thwarted by the ministry of environment & forests (MoEF) refusal to provide stage II forest clearance to the …
Projects will not be given green clearance if these are opposed by local panchayats (village councils), petroleum minister M Veerappa Moily, who holds additional charge of the environment and forests ministry, said on Tuesday. "I have rejected Niyamgiri (project of Vedanta group) because all the panchayats have rejected the proposal... …
Upbeat over Centre's refusal to allow bauxite mining at the Niyamgiri hills by Vedanta, tribals, especially Dongria Kondhs, have decided to celebrate it by organizing a massive rally in Rayagada district on Thursday. "This is a victory for tribals, who have been battling to save Niyamgiri for the past 10 …
The Environment and Forests Ministry will soon take the final call on Vedanta’s mining of Niyamgiri hills, with the Odisha government having sent the gram sabha resolutions to the Centre for a decision. The Supreme Court directed that the gram sabhas of the affected villages be asked for their consent …
The State Government has decided to provide drinking water to villages inhabited by the primitive tribal groups (PTGs). PTGs like Bonda of Malkangiri and Lanjia Saura of Rayagada and Gajapati districts have already been included in the proposal. An estimate of total Rs 97 crore has been made for implementation …
“We don’t know how the villagers can consent to diversion of forest land five days after denouncing it” It all started with great excitement — organising groups, motivating young women to lead from the front, guarding the village borders to prevent vote buying through gifts — for it seemed important …
The unanimous vote by 12 gram sabhas in Odisha's Rayagada and Kalahandi districts, rejecting Vedanta Aluminium and the Orissa Mining Corporation's plan to extract bauxite from the Niyamgiri hills, is a historic and significant precedent that could determine the course of similar developments in other tribal areas in India.
The outcome at the 12 gram sabhas held in Kalahandi and Rayagada districts will impact the projects proposed in Vizag and East Godavari district The decade-old struggle by the Dongria Kondhs and other traditional forest-dwellers in Odisha culminating in rejection of the proposed bauxite mining by Orissa Mining Corporation and …
The last and 12th gram sabha held in Jarapa village in Rayagada district rejected the proposal for bauxite mining on Niyamgiri hills. Of the 16 voters of Jarapa village, 12 persons, including six women and six men from eight families, took part in the proceedings of the gram sabha. All …
