Mining and conservation displace adivasis in Panna, India

The adivasi communities in Panna district, Madhya Pradesh, are experiencing systemic displacement and poverty driven by diamond and stone mining and the creation of wildlife reserves like the Panna Tiger Reserve. These activities have destroyed traditional livelihoods, leading to widespread reliance on illegal mining characterized by inhumane conditions, child labour, and occupational diseases such as silicosis. Women and children are disproportionately affected, with women earning half the wages of men and children as young as 5 or 6 working in mines. Conservation efforts have further marginalized these communities through evictions from ancestral lands, often based on false promises of relocation benefits. Civil society organizations, including Prithvi Trust, Keystone Foundation, and Dhaatri Resource Centre, are working to secure land titles under the Forest Rights Act of 2006 and seek compensation for health impacts, though systemic barriers and a 'mining mafia' hinder progress.

• Adivasi communities in Panna district are being displaced from their traditional lands and livelihoods by both mining operations and the establishment of wildlife reserves, such as the Panna Tiger Reserve, where villagers are barred from collecting firewood or forest products.
• Mining in Panna is characterized by a high prevalence of illegal operations; while the Ministry of Mines lists two licensed diamond mines and 101 stone quarries, estimates suggest an additional 700 illegal diamond mines and 500 stone quarries are active.
• Working conditions in the mines are inhumane and violate multiple Indian laws, leading to widespread occupational illness, specifically silicosis, and the use of child labour starting from ages 5 or 6.
• Women and children face severe hardships in the mining sector: women receive only half the daily wage of men (approximately Rs. 100 or €1.35) and must bring children to mine sites due to a lack of childcare, exposing children to contaminated water and dangerous pits.
• Despite legal protections like the Forest Rights Act of 2006 and the Mines Act, enforcement is lacking due to a strong nexus between state feudal powers and the 'mining mafia'. However, advocacy by Prithvi Trust has led to a 2015 National Green Tribunal order to close illegal diamond mines and the securing of land titles for 13 families.

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} }