Coal Mining, Displacement and Rural Livelihoods: A Study in Mahanadi Coalfield Odisha

Despite the Indian government’s repeated assertions for the sustainable mining extraction and development of rural and tribal communities living near the vicinity of mining areas, these have not been converted into implementable solutions. The top-down approach proved disastrous in managing the natural resources, causing harm to the ecosystem and thus threatening the lives of the poor people dependent on the ecosystem. Because of the current onslaught of globalization and industrialization the power of money and market has begun to distort democracy and the natural resources from rural and tribal areas are being exploited to meet the ever increasing requirements and aspirations of the affluent groups.

With the above background, the present study primarily focuses on the various implications that coal mining has on social structure and culture of the mining affected areas. The impact that coal mining has on health with a special reference to women and child and on local biodiversity, agricultural productivity, employment and livelihood is chalked out in details. The study also explores various roles of Corporate Social Responsibility of Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) in helping rehabilitation of displaced people and restoration of ecological resilience and the various roles of Gram Sabha/ Gram Panchayat/Non- Government Organizations/Forest and Tribal Affairs Department on mitigation of and adaption of livelihood. In addition the study has also accessed the status of ecological restoration of evident mining areas and role of mining companies in its complete restoration and more specifically the role of both mining companies and forest department in use of Compensatory Afforestation Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) fund for ecological restoration.