“Without consulting the affected people, as many as about 20 coal mines are auctioned in a small region in Chhendipada block for commercial mining which will adversely affect lakhs of people of Angul district, told environmentalist and Goldman Prize winner Prafulla Samantara.
A team comprising Samantara, social activist Er Sashmita Behera , Odisha Jana Adhikar Parisad president Bijay Parida , JANMAT advisior Bijay Mishra , lawyer Jitendra Sahu, Krutartha Dehury and Udit Pradhan met the affected villagers of various mines, including Radhikapur East and Radhikapur west at Chhendipada , Kosala and Jhintipal , when auctions were underway for as many as nine coalmines of Chendpada in 3rd phase.
Observing widespread resentment among the people, Sashmita Behera told at Jhintipal that without a proper "habitat planning", around 20 coal mines including Radhikapur East and West are set to be operated for commercialmining in Chhendipada block of criticality-polluted Angul district.
At present, people are vehemently opposing EMIL owned Radhikapur East. Aditya Birla group-owned EMIL Mines and Minerals Resources Limited is the winning bidder for Radhikapur (East) coalmine. The coal block, spread over an area of 10.16 sq km, has a net proved reserve of 176.33 million tonne (MT) of fossil fuel.
Villages like Jhintipal, Gopiballabhpur, Gopinathpur and Barpada will be directly and immensely affected by Radhikapur (East) coal mine. Meeting the aggrieved people, Bijay Parida said the problem of mining-induced displacement and resettlement is huge and poses a major risk to the sustainability in Angul district.
“Without habitat planning, coalmines are allowed to operate in Chhendipada , Talcher and Kaniha area. People have lost their natural resources, water resources and connectivity. Coal mine surrounding villages are greatly affected by air, water and noise pollution.
People are continuously demonstrating against traffic jam by coal transport vehicles. However, without addressing the issues, the Government has allowed further mining in the Angul area,” resented Parida.
"Radhikapur (East) coalmine belongs to Angul-Talcher coal belt, close to Satkosia and Similipal Tiger Reserves and it will seriously affect and fragment Similipal-Satkosia wildlife corridor,” told Er Sashmita Behera.
Villagers of Angul and Talcher are facing water scarcity and other ecological hardships. Man-animal conflict is also on the rise due to water and fodder scarcity in forests and hills in view of large-scale mining.
“Commercial coalmining in Chhendipada area will pose a threat to the abundance and diversity of flora and fauna and would further worsen the connectivity.
The cumulative impacts of mining in the region will further aggravate the sustainability challenges of the landscape due to disturbances and deterioration of forest ecology.
The Government most stop the auction of the coalmines, which is going on without the consent of the people,” told Samantara.