Mining and conservation displace adivasis in Panna, India

This case study examines the displacement and exploitation of adivasi communities in the Panna district of Madhya Pradesh, India. It details how the expansion of diamond and stone mining, alongside the establishment of wildlife reserves like the Panna Tiger Reserve, has stripped indigenous populations of their traditional livelihoods, land, and access to basic resources. The document highlights severe human rights violations, including child labour, gender-based wage gaps, and the prevalence of silicosis among workers, while outlining the advocacy efforts of civil society organisations to secure land titles and compensation.

• Adivasi communities in Panna district face severe socio-economic marginalisation, with 55% of adivasis in Madhya Pradesh living below the poverty line and 60% of their children being undernourished.
• Mining activities in Panna district are characterized by a high volume of illegal operations; while the Ministry of Mines lists two licensed diamond mines and 101 stone quarries, there appear to be an additional 700 illegal diamond mines and 500 stone quarries.
• Mining operations result in inhumane working conditions and health crises, specifically the prevalence of silicosis. Women workers receive only half the wage of men (approximately Rs. 100 or
  .35 per day), and child labour is widespread, with government statistics citing 9,730 children aged 5 to 14 working in Panna's mines.
• Conservation efforts, specifically the Panna Tiger Reserve, have led to the eviction of adivasi villages from their original habitats. These communities are often relocated based on false promises, losing access to forest products and firewood, while illegal mining continues within the reserve's buffer zone.
• Civil society efforts led by Prithvi Trust, Keystone Foundation, and Dhaatri Resource Centre have achieved limited successes, including a 2015 National Green Tribunal order to close illegal diamond mines, securing formal land title deeds for 13 families under the Forest Rights Act of 2006, and obtaining National Commission for Human Rights orders for silicosis compensation.

APA

Center for International Environmental Law (2015). Mining and conservation displace adivasis in Panna, India. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Mining-and-conservation-displace-adivasis-in-Panna-India.pdf

Chicago

Center for International Environmental Law. Mining and conservation displace adivasis in Panna, India. 2015. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Mining-and-conservation-displace-adivasis-in-Panna-India.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Center for International Environmental Law |title=Mining and conservation displace adivasis in Panna, India |date=November 2015 |url=https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Mining-and-conservation-displace-adivasis-in-Panna-India.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centerforinternationalenvironmentallaw2015mining, author = {{Center for International Environmental Law}}, title = {{Mining and conservation displace adivasis in Panna, India}}, institution = {Center for International Environmental Law}, year = {2015}, month = nov, url = {https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Mining-and-conservation-displace-adivasis-in-Panna-India.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }