NGO, tribal body join hands against bauxite mining - Stage protest in front of Anantagiri mandal off

NGO, tribal body join hands against bauxite mining - Stage protest in front of Anantagiri mandal office

23rd July 2005

Staff Reporter, The Hindu

· Mining in agency contravenes of the 1/70 Land Regulation Act
· Mining likely to endanger the rare species, flora and fauna

Andhra Pradesh - Visakhapatnam - Samata, an NGO and Andhra Pradesh Girijana Sangham (APGS) on Friday joined hands opposing bauxite mining in the agency area of Visakhapatnam district.

The two held a rally, staged a dharna at the Anantagiri mandal office and organised a rasta roko and foiled an "urgent meeting'' on "mining awareness'' called by the MRO for mandal presidents, ZPTC and MPTCs, sarpanches and village secretaries of Anantagiri mandal by continuing the protest till 3 p.m.

Those called for the meeting did not turn up owing to the protest. Girijans from Beesupuram, Gatuvalasa, Katika, Barjala and Yeguva Sobha participated in the protest opposing the bauxite mining in Galikonda and Raktakonda of Borra and Yeguvasobha panchayats and raised slogans against the proposed alumina plant.

The protest was led by APGS president and secretary T. Ananda Rao and D. Gangaraju respectively and Samata president P. Devullu and G. Srinivas.

The APGS has been organising a padayatra in the agency are to create awareness on the threat posed by bauxite mining.

Samata, and APGS have been opposing bauxite mining in the agency area in contravention of the 1/70 Land Regulation Act applicable for tribal areas. In the "Samata judgment'' the Supreme Court has clearly stated that only the Government, public sector undertakings and local tribal societies were empowered to take up mining.

Tribals from Orissa had been coming to the Visakha agency after mining was taken up there and due to other projects during the last five decades.

On the ecological front, rivers like Machkhand, Sileru and Gosthani originating in the agency would go dry because of the mining which would endanger the rare species, flora and fauna.