Environmental and Socio-Economic Impact of Mining on the Local People: A Case Study of Panchpatmali Bauxite Mines Area, Odisha

Abstract

This paper attempts to explain the impact of Panchpatmali bauxite mines, Koraput district, Odisha on the socio-economic and environmental conditions of the households living in its peripheral villages. This study is based on primary data. The relevant data has been elicited from 100 households from four peripheral villages namely Kapsiput, Kardiguda, Putraghati and Metingi through a well-structured schedule. To assess the socio-economic and environmental impact of mining, a household-level analysis of the various issues, namely housing and sanitation conditions, health and educational status, availability of agricultural land and livestock, household assets, annual income and expenditure, environmental problems, access to common property resources etc have been presented through various tables and figures where statistical methods like average and percentage were used. The findings of the study revealed that the villagers are facing many difficulties such as shortage of drinking water, low level of agricultural productivity due to decrease in soil quality, food insecurity, loss of land, lack of employment opportunities, proper drinking water, and access to free health, education and other basic facilities. From the environmental point of view, the entire surrounding area is increasingly being polluted day by day due to extensive bauxite mining. The mining polluted land, air and water are leading to the growth of environmental related diseases like malaria, jaundice, scabies, diarrhoea, asthma, respiratory problems etc among the local people. The study suggested that NALCO should provide compensation to the villagers for its negative externalities. The plant must conduct different welfare activities for the local residents of Panchpatmali mines in terms of employment opportunities, satisfactory wages for all kinds of works in the mines and company, transport services, free health and education facilities, supply of adequate and proper drinking water, skill training activities etc. To address the impact of mining, new technology has to be developed that uses fewer chemicals during extraction and processing of bauxite, forest coverage should be increased, and mining waste should be regulated and turned into a non-harmful form.