Petition to halt mining on mountain range in Odisha

The Mining Zone Peoples’ Solidarity Group has petitioned Sonia Gandhi, Chairperson of the National Advisory Council, to permanently halt iron ore mining in the Khandadhar mountain range of Odisha, India, citing severe environmental devastation and the threat of cultural extinction for the Pauri Bhuiyan tribe.

• Mining activities in the Khandadhar mountain range threaten a vast area of forest and biodiversity. Projections indicate that the Pohang Steel Company of South Korea (POSCO) and other firms may source iron ore from approximately 150,000 hectares of densely forested land. In Keonjhar district specifically, mining leases have been granted across 143,900 hectares, which the document states will destroy 52 villages belonging to the Juang and Pauri Bhuiyan indigenous groups.
• The Pauri Bhuiyan, a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) who reside on the mountaintops, face cultural and physical extinction due to mining. The document reports that the local administration has persecuted the group, including an incident on April 15, 2012, where the forest department burned the belongings and huts of 20 Pauri Bhuiyan families near Derula village.
• Mining is causing significant hydrological damage to the Khandadhar watershed, which supports at least 20 villages and the Brahmani River. The Kurmitar mine, a 133-hectare site operated by Kalinga Commercial Corporation Limited (KCCL) under lease from the Orissa Mining Corporation, is accused of removing water from a source spring of the Khandadhara, contributing to reduced water flow in the waterfall and the drying up of downstream canals.
• The region is a critical habitat for endangered wildlife, including tigers, elephants, bison, leopards, and the sloth bear, and serves as a vital elephant corridor. It is also home to a rare limbless lizard that appears to exist only in this location.

APA

Henderson, I. (2013). Petition to halt mining on mountain range in Odisha. Natural Justice. https://naturaljustice.org/petition-to-halt-mining-on-mountain-range-in-odisha/

Chicago

Henderson, Ian. Petition to halt mining on mountain range in Odisha. Natural Justice, 2013. https://naturaljustice.org/petition-to-halt-mining-on-mountain-range-in-odisha/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Henderson |first1=Ian |title=Petition to halt mining on mountain range in Odisha |publisher=Natural Justice |date=5 April 2013 |url=https://naturaljustice.org/petition-to-halt-mining-on-mountain-range-in-odisha/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{henderson2013petition, author = {Henderson, Ian}, title = {{Petition to halt mining on mountain range in Odisha}}, publisher = {Natural Justice}, year = {2013}, month = apr, url = {https://naturaljustice.org/petition-to-halt-mining-on-mountain-range-in-odisha/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }