Mine over matter? Health, wealth and forests in a mining area of Orissa (original) (raw)

Under-mining health: Environmental justice and mining in India

Health & Place, 2011

Despite the potential for economic growth, extractive mineral industries can impose negative health externalities in mining communities. We estimate the size of these externalities by combining household interviews with mine location and estimating statistical functions of respiratory illness and malaria among villagers living along a gradient of proximity to iron-ore mines in rural India. Two-stage regression modeling with cluster corrections suggests that villagers living closer to mines had higher respiratory illness and malaria-related workday loss, but the evidence for mine workers is mixed. These findings contribute to the thin empirical literature on environmental justice and public health in developing countries.

Coal Mining and Access to Livelihood Capitals: Mines and Non-mines Affected Villages in Jharkhand (India

Social Science Spectrum, 2020

This study aims to evaluate the situation of livelihood capital utilisation, its major determinant and rising inequality in its utilisation during economic transformation. It uses primary data of 416 sample households from predefined compared groups (viz. mines exposed versus non-exposed villages) which was collected under the cross-sectional research designed by a structured questionnaire. The principal component analysis, bivariate, logistic regression, iv-probit 2sls regression and concentration index (CI) are used to achieve the study objectives. The odds ratio shows that mines affected villages were less likely to utilise natural capital. Although it had a significantly higher likelihood to utilise social, physical, economic capitals compare with their counterparts. Besides, the odds of human capital does not show any utilisation differences between both residential settings. However, in the context of aggregate utilisation of ACI, there is a significantly higher likelihood for...

Socio-Economic Profile and Quality of Life of villages in and around mining area of Keonjhar District, Orissa, India

2015

Though mining activity in odisha has played an important role in industrial growth of state, but it has led to affecting the environment and social life of the community located nearby. The effort taken by mining companies in minimizing the adverse impacts on the environment and society is inadequate and not matching the need of hour. The current research paper has attempted to give a picture on the impact of mining activity on the socioeconomic condition of the local inhabitants living around the iron ore mines of Keonjhar district in Odisha. The study area is habituated by Paudi bhuyan and Juanga, two primitive tribal group of Eastern India. A sum of 300 households comprising 1204 individuals was selected and interviewed through the help of a pretexted structured questionnaire. The Quality of Life (QOL) has been indexed in a 0-10 point scale based on some important value function like occupation, caste and prevailing economic and social condition. Data on socioeconomic conditions ...

Impact Of Mining On Socio-Economic And Health Status Of Indigenous People - A Case Study Of Keonjhar

2018

Odisha is one of the most mineral-rich states of India and there are more than 26 types of minerals available in the state (Directorate of Mines, Govt. of Odisha). The mineral resource base of Odisha is mainly spread in the tribal community dominated pockets and is under forest cover which provides for the livelihood of the tribals. Keonjhar district, which is the home of about 45.4% of tribal population; including some of the most primitive tribes, occupies an important place in the mineral resource map of eastern India. Though mining is very beneficial to the industrial sector and is a positive indicator of economic growth of a country, but its adverse impacts on environment and health related issues can't be denied. Displacement from land and loss of access to forests has a direct impact on the health and nutrition of the people. In this research study the researchers have made an attempt to investigate and study the effects of mining in the livelihood patterns and health related issues faced by the tribal people of selected blocks in Keonjhar district of Odisha. The study reviled the major impact of this change were the depilation in forest resources and agricultural lands, loss of fertility of lands, steady increase of wastelands, shrinkage of grazing fields for domestic animals. As per the health aspect, the cases of Respiratory Tract Infection were significantly high in the surrounding areas of mines along with other health related issues.

Unbridled coal extraction and concerns for livelihood: evidences from Odisha, India

Mineral Economics, 2021

Coal mining and its unfavourable consequences have generated global attention. It has further stimulated the paradoxical debate of development and desolation in the contemporary scenario. Since the coal resources are profusely available in India and it is comparatively less expensive, the country has been largely relying on it for its essential and non-essential consumption needs. Coal resources indirectly fulfil many of the modern requirements and comforts. Consequently, mining of minerals in general and coal in particular has become the prime focus. It helps to generate revenue, augment industrialisation and promote employment opportunities in India. Despite these progressive features, the opencast coal mining activities impose serious threats to the livelihood of the local communities. Based on critical review of the relevant literature, the article seeks to exhibit the mineral reserves and coal mining activities at global, national and regional context. The paper has incorporated a special focus on Odisha-a resource-rich state located in eastern part of India. Particularly, the two existing major coalfields-Talcher and Ib valley, situated in western part of the state-have been emphasised. The manifold adverse externalities of the coal mining practices on the livelihood pattern among the affected people have been assessed. Furthermore, the paper aims to examine the mining-induced threats on different livelihood capitals which has given rise to multiple risks and challenges.

Environmental Impact of Coal Mining on Local Livelihoods in Odisha, India

Ecology, Environment and Conservation, 2023

The study aims to examine the sustainable livelihoods framework (SLF) of local people in Talcher coal mining in Odisha. The study used five types of capital such as human, social, financial, physical and natural. The Herfindahl Hirschman index has been used to differentiate income diversification in mining villages and control villages. The backwards step-wise multiple regression model has been used to show the relationship between expenditure and different socioeconomic variables in the mining villages. The Mining has a positive footprint on physical capital. But it has detrimental effects on natural and mixed effects on human, social and financial capital in the mining villages. The Herfindahl index and multiple regression models revealed that mining has a positive influence on the livelihoods of people in the mining area. There is more livelihoods diversification in the mining villages than in the control villages. The standard of living and income has increased in the mining villages. There are some challenges faced by the mining communities such as job insecurity and livelihoods insecurity for their children. The adverse impact of coal mining on livelihoods can be minimised by controlling environmental degradation through rigorous monitoring. Further, there should be proper coordination between the state government and coal mining companies to provide benefits to the affected communities and conduct different training programmes on driving, computer training and tailoring to people who not engaged in mining activities. Institutional farsightedness is required to ensure sustainable livelihoods for local people.

MINING AND DEFORESTATION: An Analysis of Rural Lives and Livelihood of Mining Area of Odisha

Deforestation is occurring in unprecedented proportions and over an exceptionally short period of time. In many countries including India tropical forests are disappearing quickly as an economic resource. Deforestation is a particular threat to approximately 2000 million people, often referred to somewhat inaccurately as the indigenous people who live in or around the forests, who are among the poorest of the poor and who risk losing their livelihood as a result of logging and deforestation. Soil erosion ensues from overuse of land that has been stripped of its vegetative cover for purposes of settled agriculture, as the topsoil is washed away by rainwater or by wind and the productivity of the land is progressively reduced. For the poor living in or near the forests it is the breakdown of biological diversity that is destroying their livelihood. In recent years the destruction of such communal lands through mining and other so called developmental activities often sponsored by the government, and overuse caused by greed of elites and corporate houses have increased and encroached on the income earning possibilities of the poor. In view of the above context the paper is an attempt to evaluate the impact of mining and deforestation on the livelihood of the local communities in the mining regions of Odisha. It has also highlighted the changing pattern of livelihoods in the region. Furthermore, the paper has explored issues like migration and movement in reference to mining, deforestation and industrialization. The study has found that two mining blocks of Odisha provides two different types of picture of industrial development and related issues of livelihood, environment and protest movements in the state.

Estimating the impact of large-scale mining on local communities in sub-Saharan Africa

Masters Dissertation, 2020

The proliferation of large-scale mining in sub-Saharan Africa and its impact on local communities living conditions has been a matter of considerable debate amongst stakeholders. Thus far, there has been little consensus as to whether a local resources curse exists, with both quantitative and qualitative research yielding contradictory results. This dissertation aims to provide a reliable and replicable methodology to measure the social impact of large-scale mining on local communities. It does so by constructing three living condition indices measuring access to infrastructure and levels of lived poverty using Round 6Afrobarometer surveys. Making use of the recently geocoded survey data, it links 4 796 individuals to 148 large-scale mines in 19 sub-Saharan African countries within a 100km radius of a PSU. Using a linear mixed model with a random intercept and common slope, this dissertation finds that when country and urbanisation effects are controlled for, he proximity of a large-scale mine to a local community has a negligible impact on living condition outcomes. The case studies reveal that while large-scale mining has contributed to development infrastructure provision and improved living conditions, the disruption to social fabrics and land alienation often nullify these benefits particularly when government investments do not extend beyond mining. In short, this paper finds no substantive evidence for a local resource "curse" or "blessing"

Impact of Coal Mining in Diversification of Rural Livelihoods: A Case Study in the Barjora Colliery Area of Bankura District, West Bengal

Journal Space and Culture,India, 2019

Coal mining plays a key role in developing the economic backbone of many developing countries, such as India, although on a local scale. Coal mining industries enormously influence the surrounding environments and livelihoods. An open cast coal mine severely enhances the dust particles in the local atmosphere over time and in turn, affects the fertility of the surrounding lands. Additionally, the socioeconomic conditions of the local community go through a massive perturbation due to land acquisition, migration of people and insecurity of jobs. In this present work, an effort has been made to understand the effect of open cast coal mining on the diverse livelihoods of the rural community in Barjora colliery area of West Bengal. The livelihood pattern of the local community has significantly changed from pre-mining to post-mining, such as in agriculture sector, the work participation rate has reduced from 62% to 3%, and at present, about 55% people are now engaged in the mining secto...

Assessing the Impact of Coal Mining on Diversified Sources of Rural Livelihoods: A Case Study in the Ib Valley Coalfield Area of Western Odisha, India

2015

Extraction of coal and minerals has become an indispensable activity for industrial and societal development. But since its invasion it has been considered as a societal and environmental unfriendly substance as it creates unbearable damages on each and every component of the environment as well as society. Generally, most of the coal bearing areas exists in forest cum-agricultural zones which usually are socially and economically underdeveloped. Up to some extent, the coal mining industries prove their brilliance by providing employment opportunity and some infrastructural betterment. Certainly with the prologue establishment of these coal mining projects not only the economic development grows up, but on the other hand, some serious issues like land acquisition, mass scale displacement, loss of livelihood opportunities, air water and noise pollution, loss of biodiversity etc. crop up. Again the rural regions which have their peculiar source of diversified livelihood are becoming r...