All over the world indigenous people are facing grave threats to their existence from various developmental activities and climate change. As we approach another International Day of the World’s Indigenous People on 9th August, we are faced with another issue of similar hue in Orissa, India.
Niyamgiri Hills in Orissa is the dwelling place of the Dongria Kondh tribal, a group of indigenous people. The UK based Vedanta Resources Plc and its subsidiaries are planning bauxite mine and alumina refinery in their land, which would lead to environmental destruction and thus would adversely affect the livelihood of the Dongria Kondh tribal. People living in the area are already facing human rights violations to their water, health and pollution to their environment. Communities living in these parts of Orissa are already people who are excluded from the decision making process that affect their lives. Human rights groups allege that the Government of India, in agreement with Vedanta, gave approval for the mine and the refinery without free, prior and informed consent of the Dongria Kondh people living in the forest area of the Niyamgiri hills.
The findings of the report by the three-member official investigatory team of the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), which was released on 12 March 2010, highlight the absence of any concrete studies on the impact of the mining on the lives of the Dongria Kondh people, who reside in Niyamgiri hills. The report also finds that “(the) disruption of the habitat and the way of life of this PTG [Primitive Tribal Group] cannot be remediated nor compensated, and may lead to the destruction of the Dongria Kondh as a PTG.” It also points out that the State Government never initiated any process to seek the informed consent of the Dongria Kondh people for the mining project, which is otherwise guaranteed by the Indian forests laws.
By upholding a complaint against Vedanta by Survival International, the British Government during September 2009 ruled that the company had failed to respect human rights of the Dongria Kondh people and said that an immediate change in the company’s behaviour was essential. The Church of England sold out its £3.8million shareholding in Vedanta and stated “We are not satisfied that Vedanta has shown, or is likely in future to show, the level of respect for human rights and local communities that we expect."
MoEF Minister of India, Jairam Ramesh has promised follow-up action on the findings of the investigative team. Amnesty International urges that the follow-up action on this regard has to include a full consultation with the local communities living in the Niyamgiri hills. The Government must make sure that the authorities and the company are not violating the human rights of the Dongria Kondh people living at the proposed mining site of Vedanta. Amnesty International demands that no expansion of the refinery and mining should go on until and unless all existing problems are resolved.
Please take a little time to sign the online petition that is to be sent to the Minister of Environment and Forests, Mr. Jairam Ramesh urging him to refuse clearance to the refinery expansion and take action to address the existing pollution caused by the Lanjigarh refinery and to enforce laws to prevent further pollution. Click on the following URL to sign the online petition.
http://www.amnesty.org/en/appeals-for-action/stop-mining-and-refinery-projects-devastating-communities-india
(For Amnesty International)
Niyamgiri Hills in Orissa is the dwelling place of the Dongria Kondh tribal, a group of indigenous people. The UK based Vedanta Resources Plc and its subsidiaries are planning bauxite mine and alumina refinery in their land, which would lead to environmental destruction and thus would adversely affect the livelihood of the Dongria Kondh tribal. People living in the area are already facing human rights violations to their water, health and pollution to their environment. Communities living in these parts of Orissa are already people who are excluded from the decision making process that affect their lives. Human rights groups allege that the Government of India, in agreement with Vedanta, gave approval for the mine and the refinery without free, prior and informed consent of the Dongria Kondh people living in the forest area of the Niyamgiri hills.
The findings of the report by the three-member official investigatory team of the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), which was released on 12 March 2010, highlight the absence of any concrete studies on the impact of the mining on the lives of the Dongria Kondh people, who reside in Niyamgiri hills. The report also finds that “(the) disruption of the habitat and the way of life of this PTG [Primitive Tribal Group] cannot be remediated nor compensated, and may lead to the destruction of the Dongria Kondh as a PTG.” It also points out that the State Government never initiated any process to seek the informed consent of the Dongria Kondh people for the mining project, which is otherwise guaranteed by the Indian forests laws.
By upholding a complaint against Vedanta by Survival International, the British Government during September 2009 ruled that the company had failed to respect human rights of the Dongria Kondh people and said that an immediate change in the company’s behaviour was essential. The Church of England sold out its £3.8million shareholding in Vedanta and stated “We are not satisfied that Vedanta has shown, or is likely in future to show, the level of respect for human rights and local communities that we expect."
MoEF Minister of India, Jairam Ramesh has promised follow-up action on the findings of the investigative team. Amnesty International urges that the follow-up action on this regard has to include a full consultation with the local communities living in the Niyamgiri hills. The Government must make sure that the authorities and the company are not violating the human rights of the Dongria Kondh people living at the proposed mining site of Vedanta. Amnesty International demands that no expansion of the refinery and mining should go on until and unless all existing problems are resolved.
Please take a little time to sign the online petition that is to be sent to the Minister of Environment and Forests, Mr. Jairam Ramesh urging him to refuse clearance to the refinery expansion and take action to address the existing pollution caused by the Lanjigarh refinery and to enforce laws to prevent further pollution. Click on the following URL to sign the online petition.
http://www.amnesty.org/en/appeals-for-action/stop-mining-and-refinery-projects-devastating-communities-india
(For Amnesty International)
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