Odisha approves a 3.4 km access road to the Sijimali Bauxite Mine in Rayagada after final forest clearance. The project faces legal challenges and tribal opposition over forest rights and livelihoods
OdishaPlus Bureau
The government of Odisha has approved the construction of a 3.4-kilometer access road to the proposed Sijimali bauxite mines located in the Rayagada district of Odisha, following the granting of Stage-II, or final, forest clearance for the diversion of forest land associated with the project by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
This approval represents a crucial advancement towards the operationalization of the Vedanta-linked mining initiative, despite ongoing legal disputes and local resistance from tribal communities.
The road is considered the first significant piece of physical infrastructure necessary for the mine and has been at the heart of a prolonged conflict between the state government and local tribal inhabitants. Tensions escalated into violent confrontations on April 7, resulting in injuries to 70 individuals, including 58 police officers.
Officials from the state forest department indicated that the proposed road, which will connect the Sijimali Bauxite Mines hilltop to State Highway-44 (SH-44) in the Kashipur tehsil, received final approval under Section 2(1)(ii) of the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980, on May 5.
In the wake of this clearance, the state government issued an order allowing the diversion of 4.911 hectares of forest land in favor of the Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (IDCO), which had requested permission as the implementing agency.
The 3.4-kilometer road leading to the mineral block leased to the Vedanta Group has become one of the most controversial aspects of the Sijimali mining project. It is anticipated to connect the hilltop mining site with SH-44 and further link it to a nearby railway siding, facilitating the transportation of bauxite extracted from the leased area. Officials deem the road vital for the operationalization of the mine.
In its order granting Stage-II clearance, the MoEFCC instructed the Odisha government to carry out compensatory afforestation on 6.07 hectares of non-forest land within a two-year timeframe. Previously, in January 2026, the ministry had granted Stage-I, or in-principle, approval for the diversion of the forest land.
Nevertheless, the final approval includes a significant condition. The ministry indicated that the validity and ongoing enforcement of the Stage-II forest clearance would depend on the resolution of two petitions currently pending before the Eastern Zone Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in Kolkata. These appeals, submitted by tribal activist Munidei Majhi and others, contest various elements of forest diversion and the approvals related to the Sijimali mining project.
The state forest department had previously contended before the ministry that the road should not be classified as part of the mining project but rather as public infrastructure that serves a mining area. The state government asserted that the ownership of the road would ultimately be transferred to the public works department.
The proposal experienced significant modifications throughout the approval process. Initial project documents outlined a 7.5-km road as a component of Vedanta’s mining plan. However, by December 2025, when the company submitted its final environmental impact assessment (EIA) report, the alignment had been notably changed, and the proposed length was reduced to 3.4 km.
Vedanta, which acquired the Sijimali block through an auction in March 2023, intends to extract nearly 9 million tonnes of bauxite annually to partially supply its 6-million-tonne-per-annum alumina refinery located in Lanjigarh, Kalahandi district. The project aims to exploit an estimated 311 million tonnes of high-grade bauxite reserves distributed over 1,549 hectares and necessitates the diversion of 709.72 hectares of forest land.
The leased area encompasses the tehsils of Thuamul Rampur and Kashipur, situated within the Rayagada and Kalahandi districts, impacting a total of 18 villages. The forest advisory committee of the ministry had previously granted Stage-I forest clearance for the extensive mining lease in December 2025. Additionally, during its meeting on May 15, the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) for non-coal mining endorsed environmental clearance for the project.
However, the project is currently entangled in various legal disputes. A case regarding the Sijimali mining lease is awaiting resolution in the Supreme Court, where Larsen & Toubro has contested an order from the Orissa High Court that dismissed its claim to the mining block. Vedanta has been included in the proceedings as well.
Concurrently, local Kandha and Paraja tribal communities have persistently opposed the project, arguing that mining operations jeopardize their traditional forest rights, livelihoods reliant on minor forest products, and sacred hilltop locations that are integral to their cultural and religious identity.
The anticipated mine is projected to displace 129 families, with 51 from Tijimali village and 78 from Malipadar. According to official documents, land for rehabilitation colonies has been earmarked at Kurkuti and Chandgiri.