Thousands of tribal village residents from six Gram Panchayats in Nandapur block, Koraput district, marched to the Tahasildar’s office in Nandapur on March 18, 2025 in a mass protest against the allotment of the Balada bauxite mining project to the Adani Group. The protesters submitted a memorandum of demands addressed to the President of India, the Governor and the Chief Minister for Odisha through the Tahasildar.
The village residents demanded the cancellation of the mining lease for Balada Nageswari Hill, arguing that it was auctioned without the consent of the Gram Sabhas. They also called for a fresh public hearing conducted in a democratic manner, rejecting the one held on March 6, 2025.
Additionally, they urged the implementation of the Forest Rights Act to grant community rights, safeguard their livelihoods and protect their right to worship at the sacred Nageswari Hill.
Mundra Aluminium Ltd, a subsidiary of the Adani Group, has been selected as the preferred bidder for the Balada bauxite block, which has an estimated geological resource of 22.13 million tonnes of bauxite. Meanwhile, Kalinga Aluminium Company Ltd, another Adani Group entity, has applied for environmental clearance for a project covering 2 acres and 48 cents of land at plot numbers 27 and 225 in Bheja Mouza.
The Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) conducted a public hearing on environmental clearance on March 6, 2025, stating that the proceedings followed the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change guidelines. However, village residents from Balada, Bheja, Kulwbir, Atanda and Badel panchayats strongly opposed the hearing, citing concerns over the severe impact of mining operations on their livelihoods and the environment.
When contacted over the phone regarding the alleged illegality in the process, Dipesh Biswal, Regional Officer of the OSPCB, Koraput, initially declined to comment. However, upon further insistence, he stated, “The procedures followed during the public hearing were in accordance with the Environmental Impact Assessment notification. A Gram Sabha is not required for a public hearing.”
The public hearing was conducted for environmental clearance, whereas the Gram Sabha being demanded pertains to the settlement of rights under the Forest Rights Act or issues related to resettlement, he further stated. “These are separate processes and the Gram Sabha process is being conducted separately,” Biswal said.
Attempts to reach the parent organisation of the mining company via its official web portal to obtain a response have, to date, been unsuccessful.
Prafulla Samantara, a leader of people's movements who joined the protest on February 18, criticised the mining auction, citing objections raised by the Comptroller and Auditor General. He stated, “The lease given to the Adani Group must be cancelled. No government should destroy rich natural resources for corporate profits.”
Local Congress MLA and leader of the party’s legislative wing in the Odisha Assembly, Ramachandra Kadam, pledged continued support for the agitation. “We will not stop until the Adani Group withdraws from the project,” he said.
Local tribal leaders Laxmi Sesa and Bijay Muduli, along with thousands of women, declared, “We will not allow any company to dig our sacred Nageswari Hill.” Leaders of the Mali Parvata Suraksha Samiti also joined the protest and senior advocate Gupteswar Panigrahi from Koraput district extended his support.
Samantara, in a letter to the Member Secretary of OSPCB in Bhubaneswar, termed the March 6 public hearing illegal. He claimed that the hearing faced widespread opposition, with hundreds of written objections filed against the project.
Samantara further alleged that officials from the Pollution Control Board and the district administration left the venue without addressing public concerns, yet later claimed in the media that the hearing was conducted peacefully. “This is a deliberate attempt to suppress the voices of the village residents who are united in their strong opposition to bauxite mining,” he said.
As tensions escalate, the village residents remain resolute in their fight to protect their land, livelihoods and sacred sites from mining activities.