Bauxite Mining in Paderu, Visakhapatnam, India

Description:

AnRak Aluminium, a company of the government of Ras al-Khaimah of the United Arab Emirates and Penna Cement of AP has secured approval for both an aluminium complex and a bauxite mines in the Visakhapatnam district of Andhra Pradesh, but the final forest clearance for the mines is awaited. The AnRak project has replicated the Vedanta model of first building the refinery and then setting up the mine. The mine is to be operated by the state government to circumvent the ban on non-tribal landownership.

Basic Data

Name of conflict:	Bauxite Mining in Paderu, Visakhapatnam, India
Country:	India
State or province:	Andhra Pradesh
Location of conflict:	Paderu
Accuracy of location	HIGH (Local level)

Source of Conflict

Type of conflict. 1st level:	Mineral Ores and Building Materials Extraction
Type of conflict. 2nd level:	Mineral ore exploration Land acquisition conflicts
Specific commodities:	Aluminum/Bauxite

Project Details and Actors

Project details	Andhra Pradesh reserves have been estimated to 1000 million tonnes, out of which 570 million tonnes are at Visakhapatnam and East Godavari districts in 25 pockets covering an area of about 4775 ha. Prominently these deposits are divided into two groups viz. Araku and Chintapalli. All these areas fall in the reserve forest and notified scheduled tribal area. The Government of Andhra Pradesh (GoAP) has reserved these deposits for exclusive exploitation in public sector vide G.O.Ms.No. 999, Industries and commerce (Mines-I) Department, dt. 25.10.1975. See more Accordingly, the Corporation has filed mining lease applications for all these bauxite areas. AAL hopes to mine first the blocks in the Jerrela mountains, close to Chintapalli in Visakhapatnam district and about 90 km from the AAL site, containing a total of 246 million tonnes of bauxite. The original environmental application for AAL was for a 1.5 MTPA (million tonnes per annum) refinery, a 0.25 MTPA smelter, and a 90 MW power plant at Makavarapalem in Visakhapatnam district of AP at a cost of Rs 7,000 crore on 1,380 acres of land. AAL now reports that it has 1,926 acres of land available (AnRak Aluminium Ltd 2012b) where significant construction work is currently underway. After the environmental clearances were secured, production estimates were increased to 3.85 MTPA (Ministry of Environment and Forests 2009). At this rate of mining, Block III will last for 17 years while the total ore deposits of 224.60 million tonnes will be sufficient for about 60 years of AAL’s operations. The sole approval remaining for Jerrela is the forest clearance from MOEF. (See less)
Project area:	1932
Level of Investment for the conflictive project	484731067
Type of population	Rural
Start of the conflict:	19/12/2012
Company names or state enterprises:	Jindal South West Holding Ltd from India Industries & Commerce and Govt. of RAS Al Khaimah Anrak Aluminium Ltd from India
Relevant government actors:	Andhra Pradesh Mineral Development Corporation, Government of Andhra Pradesh
Environmental justice organizations (and other supporters) and their websites, if available:	Political Parties, Telugu Desam Party, Communist Party of India, Communist Party of India-Marxist and some peoples groups

Conflict & Mobilization

Intensity	HIGH (widespread, mass mobilization, violence, arrests, etc...)
Reaction stage	In REACTION to the implementation (during construction or operation)
Groups mobilizing:	Indigenous groups or traditional communities Local government/political parties Social movements
Forms of mobilization:	Blockades Public campaigns Street protest/marches Strikes

Impacts

Environmental Impacts	Potential: Air pollution, Biodiversity loss (wildlife, agro-diversity), Loss of landscape/aesthetic degradation, Soil erosion, Waste overflow, Deforestation and loss of vegetation cover, Surface water pollution / Decreasing water (physico-chemical, biological) quality, Groundwater pollution or depletion, Large-scale disturbance of hydro and geological systems, Reduced ecological / hydrological connectivity, Mine tailing spills
Health Impacts	Potential: Accidents, Health problems related to alcoholism, prostitution, Occupational disease and accidents, Other environmental related diseases
Socio-economical Impacts	Potential: Displacement, Loss of livelihood, Loss of traditional knowledge/practices/cultures, Specific impacts on women, Violations of human rights, Land dispossession, Loss of landscape/sense of place

Outcome

Project Status	Proposed (exploration phase)
Conflict outcome / response:	Compensation Migration/displacement Violent targeting of activists
Do you consider this an environmental justice success? Was environmental justice served?:	No
Briefly explain:	Bauxite mining in this region would displace the tribals, affect their livelihood and harm the environment

Sources & Materials

Juridical relevant texts related to the conflict (laws, legislations, EIAs, etc)

Andhra Pradesh Mineral Development Corporation Limited

Alienation of Land Transfer Regulation Act

projects.html
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New Projects MOU

References to published books, academic articles, movies or published documentaries

Economic and Political Weekly,

AnRak Aluminium, Another Vedanta in the Making? (attached)

Special powers to be used to cancel Bauxite lease in Andhra Pradesh
[click to view]

Shutdown in Visakhapatnam to protest bauxite mining
[click to view]

Cancel bauxite mining leases in Vizag: House panel
[click to view]

Related media links to videos, campaigns, social network

Tribal Women Bash Up TDP MLA In
[click to view]

[click to view]

Meta information

Contributor:	Swapan Kumar Patra
Last update	18/08/2019
Conflict ID:	924