Resource information
This report investigates the threats to the livelihoods of Indian Lanjigarh locals after the arrival of a subsidiary of Vedanta. It presents the myths about Vedanta in relation to this project and unravels the truth behind each with evidence from official reports, journalists, Action Aid’s own field visits and first hand accounts of local people. The locals of Niyamgiri mountain, in Kalahandi District, Orissa, India have lived for decades by foraging in the forests, raising chickens and growing vegetables and rice. Families are living in fear for their future due to the arrival of Vedanta’s bauxite mining and alumina refinery project. Villagers claim to have been involuntarily displaced from their homes and refused compensation for their lost land, and yet their protests have been repeatedly ignored by officials and the company. Local campaigning groups are making calls to action. These include:
Vedanta must halt all mining and refining activities in Lanjigarh and the Niyamgiri mountain area. This should include a halt to further construction work and deforestation and any transportation of bauxite
the Government of India and the Government of Orissa must recognise that the project represents a fundamental violation of Indian environmental and human rights laws
to protect communities, global minimum human rights standards for companies must be developed within the UN, backed by international complaints mechanisms for communities to seek justice at the United Nations Human Rights Council.
