he State Government’s decision to resume bauxite mining in the Jerrela block in the Agency area of Vizakhapatnam district is likely to run the gauntlet of opposition from tribal people of the area and environmentalists. Even more seriously for law and order in north coastal Andhra Pradesh, it is likely to be interpreted as a challenge by CPI (Maoist), which in recent months has been stoking resistance in the tribal hills to any such move by the Government.
Government Order 97 issued on Thursday gives permission to the Forest Department to divert 1212 hectares of land in the Jerrela reserve forest to the AP Mineral Development Corporation (APMDC) to mine the hills for bauxite. The four mining blocks of Jerrela are estimated to yield is 3.85 million tons of the ore per year.
The GO is based on the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest’s (MoEF’s) State II approval given in August. This clears the path for APMDC to begin mining operations.
Important issues
Environmentalists say the MoEF clearance had not bothered to consider three important issues, recommended by its own J.C. Kala Committee: firstly, the majority opinion of gram sabhas constituted under the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA), 1996 would have to be taken; second, the resolution against bauxite mining passed by the Tribal Advisory Committee of AP headed by the then tribal welfare minister P. Balaraju would have to be considered; and third, tribals have the right to land under the Forest Rights Act.
The order comes at a time when the hills of Araku are bristling again with renewed Maoist activity, and the State police and the Central Reserve Police Force are gearing up to meet any challenge from the naxalites. Anticipating the Government’s intentions on bauxite mining, the naxalites have been organising meetings with tribal councils in the interior areas.
Other typical Maoist acts have been reported such as summons to elected representatives to meetings in the forests, and threats to tribal people employed by APMDC. They almost brought matters to a head last month when they kidnapped three TDP leaders just a few days before Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu was to visit Araku.
He cancelled his visit, and the captives were set free after a few days.
