Think of a bauxite mine. What kind of a picture would come to mind? A large piece of fierce, red, rugged land? A deep moat with dust flying all around?
Hindalco’s Samri Bauxite mines reflect none of this. Instead, these reclaimed mines are thoughtfully designed spaces to promote new livelihoods and lifestyles. Here, nearly 6 hectares of mined out land has been transformed into a tea garden, an ‘Upvan’ and a Bio Diversity Park.
Aditya Birla Group's metal flagship Hindalco Industries Limited is setting a rather exceptional example of sustainable mining at Samri Bauxite mines in Balrampur district of Chhattisgarh. The company has taken up many ambitious projects on mined out land to restore the ecological sanctity in the area.
The Samri Tea Project is one such example. Set up on 2 hectares of land, Hindalco has invested in planting 16,000 tea saplings in the area. The next target is to develop it into a full-fledged tea garden by 2026. By growing tea in a mining area, Hindalco is leading the industry in sustainable mining practices and providing employment to local people. Two self-help group members have been engaged by the company to carry out this project within the specified time frame.
On another 2.6 hectares of mined land, a grassy Aditya Udyan has been created. This park serves as a rest and recreation spot for local people and is a major attraction for children and senior citizens to spend time amidst greens and the quiet of nature.
The Samri Bio Park, already in the works on 1.8 hectares of land, is an attempt to promote mining tourism in the region and strengthen the state’s profile as an attractive tourism spot.
Talking about the three projects, Bijesh Jha, Head-Hindalco Bauxite Vertical, said that the efforts are aligned with the Aditya Birla Group’s purpose of enriching lives by giving back to society more than what the company receives. These projects are testimony not just to Chhattisgarh’s might as a mining giant but also an exploration of the latent potential of mined out land in the state.
“At Hindalco, we are in favour of sustainable mining and our aim and objective is to make the mined out land so useful that it continues to reap benefits for the community in the coming decades,” said Mr Jha.
For all these industry leading efforts, Samri Bauxite mines have been awarded a five-star rating for sustainable mine management by the Ministry of Mines and Indian Bureau of Mines in FY 2021-22. Mining leases are awarded star ratings only after they have implemented the Sustainable Development Framework (SDF) in their areas of operation. The five-star rating goes to the best performers on parameters such as scientific, efficient and sustainable mining, compliance of approved production, zero waste mining, environment protection, steps taken for progressive and final mine closure, green energy sourcing, land, adoption of international standards, engagement with local communities through welfare programmes, resettlement, and other positive social impacts.
Recently, the Samri unit received the Tata Steel Award for Sustainable Mining under the FIMI Award – 2021-22 for its efforts towards biodiversity conservation and sustainable mining. The FIMI’s Awards Scheme was instituted in 1990-91 with the support of the Ministry of Mines and MOEFCC, to motivate and recognize the efforts of the mining industry for having addressed these multi-dimensional issues in an exemplary manner.