The Ananthgiri hills in the agency areas of Vishakhapatnam district is a rich store house of mineral wealth. There are large areas of good forests and the a number of tribal communities also live in these hills.
Not surprisingly, mining proposes one of the biggest threats to both the people and environment here. Significantly, the well-known Samata judgement that put a stop to mining projects in Schedule V areas was based on a case in the Ananthgiri hills.
Now it seems that things might change with increasing pressure and interest in opening up the area to mining (see the news report at the end of this post).
I spent a few days in the area in May, meeting people and visiting some of the villages and proposed mining sites. This is a set of pictures from the Galikonda mountain that is a prime target for bauxite mining (is mentioned in the news report as well)
Prospecting pits dug many decades ago on the Galikonda plateau
A view of Galikonda from the main road to Araku. Note the thick forest to the right. All of this, will obviously be destroyed once the permissions for the mining comes through
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Stage set for public hearing on bauxite mining in Araku
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/4865027.cms
VISAKHAPATNAM: It has now emerged clear that the state government is in no mood to let the guard down on bauxite mining in Visakha agency as it has decided to conduct a public hearing for mining at Araku and Anantagiri deposits. Sources said it would be taken up in a couple of months.
It may be recalled the government has conducted the public hearings for mining at Jerrela deposits and for the Jindal refinery at Boddavara a year ago. "When the public hearing is held in two months time, the authorities will call all the villagers concerned," a senior officer in the AP State Mineral Development Corporation (APSMDC) said.
He said there was no need to take the grama sabha's nod because the public hearing in itself is a consent of the villages. "As per the mines and minerals regulations the outcome of the public hearing is construed as the consent of the people," he added.
But CPM district secretary Ch Narsinga rao said the Panchayat Raj Extension Act in Scheduled Areas (PESA) has clearly specified that the consent of grama sabha is a must for mining.
As per an MoU with the state government, the Jindal company would get three lakh million tonnes of bauxite ore every year through APSMDC, which is the sole custodian for the mining activity. Jindal is setting up an alumina refinery at Boddavara in S Kota mandal of Vizianagaram. The APSMDC would supply bauxite ore from Araku and Anatagiri deposits to the Jindal refinery.
Sources said 55 million tonnes of bauxite deposits are located in Raktakonda, Galikonda and Chittamgondi areas of Araku and Anantagiri in an extent of 444 hectares. As per the Conservation Act of 1980, if any non-forest use activity is taken up in a forest land, the grama sabha consent is must, a source revealed.
On the other hand, the APSMDC has got permission for mining in 30 hectares in the third block in Jerrela deposits of GK Veedhi mandal where the total bauxite reserves are estimated at 224 million tonnes in an extent of 1649 hectares. The total extent was reduced after deleting the non-bauxite mineral area from 1,649 hectares to 1,162 hectares.
Sources said APSMDC would supply the bauxite ore to Anrak Allumina Limited coming up at Makavarapalem near Narsipatnam, while Anrak will pay Rs 110 crore to the APSMDC.
All colour and muscle, a rock agama, Ananthgiri hills
Tree fern, Ananthgiri hills
The endemic golden gecko (juvenile), Ananthgiri hills
