The Hindu Business Line : CSE report paints dismal picture of mining areas

SHILLONG: The sixth environment report of the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has painted a dismal picture wrought by mining in the country, which it says has contributed to displacement and the rise in movements such as Naxalism.

Mining displaced about 2.6 million people across the country between 1959 and 1991, CSE director, Ms Sunita Narain said quoting from the report titled “Rich Land, Poor People: Is Sustainable Mining Possible?” after its formal release here.

“However, not even 25 per cent of the displaced have been rehabilitated,” she said, adding 52 per cent of these, were tribals.

She said for every one per cent that mining contributes to India's GDP, it displaces 3 to 4 times more people than all the developmental projects put together.

“Forest land diversion has been going up. So has water use and air pollution in the mining hotspots. An estimated 1.64 lakh hectares of forest land has already been diverted for mining in the country,” Ms Narain said.

She said iron ore mining in the country required 77 million tonnes of water in 2005-06, enough to meet the daily water needs of more than 3 million people.

Ms Narain said 70 per cent of the top 50 mining districts fall in the backward category. In 2006, major minerals generated about 1.84 billion tonnes of waste, most of which were not disposed off properly.

The result of this large scale ravaging has led to growing conflicts in India's mining zones.

“A large part of these zones are in the grip of Naxalites. About 40 per cent of the mineral rich districts in the top six mineral producing states are affected by the movement, which is opposing the lopside development mining brings.”

The report recommended policy initiatives that could help the country meet these challenges. – PTI

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