Odisha: Many people are hurt as tribal people oppose the Vedanta project in Sijimali

On April 7, tribal protestors and police engaged in violent battles in the Rayagada district of Odisha over objections to a proposed bauxite mining project in Sijimali, injuring almost 70 persons, according to officials and residents.  In order to assist the flow of machinery, an access road is being built between Purulang and Sagabari Ghati in the Kashipur block as part of Vedanta Ltd’s projected bauxite mining project in the Sijimali hills. The region is part of the districts of Kalahandi and Rayagada.

According to police, the fighting started when villagers who were against the road development attacked security guards with axes, stones, and sharp objects. Tear gas and lathi charges were used by security personnel to break up the crowd. For more extensive care, six injured employees were transferred to Visakhapatnam.

However, residents claimed that early on April 7, police raided the homes of individuals opposing the project, turned off the electricity supply, and broke down doors. Additionally, they said that multiple vehicles were destroyed during the operation and a cow died as a result of being exposed to tear gas.

According to Rayagada Collector Kulkarni Ashutosh C, the district government in Shagabari village issued prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita after authorities and protestors failed to reach an agreement a day earlier. The Sijimali bauxite block, which was given to Vedanta Ltd. in 2023 and covers over 1,549 hectares in the Rayagada and Kalahandi districts with an estimated 311 million tonnes of bauxite reserves, is the subject of the complaint. Mythri has been hired by the business to develop projects.

Since 2023, villagers from Kantamal, Sagabari, Bantej, Bondel, and surrounding areas have opposed the project, claiming that Gram Sabha permission processes and forest rights were not adequately followed. In the Sijimali hills, protesters have erected temporary camps to obstruct any planned mining operations. 

People in the community claim that throughout the previous two years, police have responded to protests with arrests and prosecutions against activists. Some activists say that because they opposed the project, they were often detained and harassed. 

Villagers claim that tribal activist Naringi Dei Majhi was arrested in August 2025 while traveling to the hospital with her pregnant daughter-in-law. Lingaraj Azad and Suresh Sangram, two protest leaders, were taken into custody in the Kalahandi area in March 2026. According to the Odisha government, consent for forest diversion was secured under the Forest Rights Act, 2006, and Gram Sabha meetings were held in eight villages on December 8, 2023. Villagers and activists, however, have refuted this assertion, claiming anomalies in the procedure.

Discrepancies in Gram Sabha records, including allegations of forged signatures and procedural infractions, have also been reported by a Congress fact-finding team. Allegations based on RTI have also highlighted discrepancies in attendance records. The Odisha High Court has been contacted by villagers from impacted regions who claim they did not give their assent for forest diversion. Following concerns over suspected anomalies, the Union government briefly paused forest clearing operations in July 2025. However, the process later restarted, with Stage-1 clearance approved in December 2025. The Forest Rights Act and the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, which demand prior informed agreement from Gram Sabhas in Scheduled Areas, are allegedly violated by the project, according to activists. Protests are still taking place in the Rayagada district, where security is still stationed and restrictions are still in effect. While claiming that law and order is being upheld, the administration has called for calm.