Even as Odisha is set for fresh action of mining leases, a section of environmentalists, NGOs, civil societies and political activists for their own personal gains are raising environment concerns relating to mining, say many experts.
It seems they have not taken into consideration the interest of lakhs of workers and millions of residents who benefit from the industry on a local and national scale.
Odisha has an estimated reserve of 1.99 billion tonnes of bauxite, which is almost 52 per cent of total bauxite reserve of India. The proposed mining auction in the State will unleash a huge potential of vast natural resource of the country which is largely unexplored. The sustainable mining of the reserve in the State of Odisha is expected to generate huge revenues for the State Government.