Public hearing to decide on Nalco's bauxite mining proposal in Odisha's Pottangi today

According to Indian media report, the district administration of Koraput in Odisha, India would conduct an important public hearing on the proposed bauxite mining by Nalco in Pottangi block today.

The public hearing on bauxite mining will allow villagers of the area around Pottangi block to put up their views. The hearing will take place at the stadium ground and the administration has invited villagers of Khudi and Sorispadar panchayats under Semiliguda and Kotia, Pottangi, Maliput and Nuagam in Pottangi block for the occasion.

The results of the meeting will decide the future course for bauxite mining in Pottangi. Nalco, one of the lowest cost bauxite and alumina producers has been exploring bauxite from Panchapatamali mines in Damanjodi since the last 38 years.

Nalco had proposed the State Government to allow bauxite mining activities in other areas including Pottangi a few months back. Accordingly, the Government granted permission to explore bauxite in Pottangi block.

If all the regulatory conditions are fulfilled, Nalco wants to commence the operations of its second bauxite mining lease of Pottangi in 2023 in order to feed its fifth stream of alumina refinery at Damanjodi currently under expansion. The Pottangi and the Panchpatmalli mines have balance deposits of around 160 million tonnes together, which can feed Nalco’s refinery operations for the next 25 to 30 years.

However, the villagers of six panchayats of Semiliguda and Pottangi blocks are against the bauxite mining proposal as it would affect their socio-economic condition. Environmentalists have also expressed concern over possible ecological imbalance, which can be caused by bauxite mining.