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62-487: Niyamgiri is a hill range spread over 250 km which falls under the Rayagada and Kalahandi District in south-west Odisha, India. It is an area containing densely forested hills, deep gorges and cascading streams. Its highest point is the mountain known as Niyamgiri or Niyam Dongar, at a height of 1,306m. The Dongria Kondh community numbers approximately 8,000 people, inhabiting about 100 villages. The social structure among

124-554: A Portuguese company, Sesa Goa was purchased by Vedanta (then known as Sterlite industries) in the 1990s. As of 30 June 2018, the company is owned 50% by the promoters (under the names of 12 members of the Agarwal family) and 50% by the public. This includes ownership by and "Westglobe limited", "Twinstar holdings", Finsider international and mutual funds ( ICICI Prudential ), foreign portfolio investors (17%), LIC India (6%) and Citibank New York (4%). Sterlite Energy : Sterlite Energy

186-457: A literacy rate of 50.88 percent. 15.18% of the population lives in urban areas. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes make up 14.41% and 55.99% of the population respectively. Languages of Rayagada district (2011) At the time of the 2011 Census of India , 41.64% of the population in the district spoke Odia , 33.36% Kui , 10.43% Telugu , 8.37% Sora , 3.27% Kuvi and 0.66% Hindi as their first language. The district's tribal population

248-540: A EMRS strengthening district's eduacation system. Rayagada Autonomous College ,Model Degree College ,Rayagada and Gunupur College, Gunupur are main Degree Colleges in the district. The Utkal Gourav Madhusudan Institute of Technology is an engineering school. The Gandhi Institute of Engineering and Technology is in Gunupur . College of Nursing www.chbmck.org affiliated with Berhampur University , managed by

310-635: A public listed company in India since 1988, and its equity shares are listed and traded on the NSE and the BSE, and are also listed and traded on the NYSE in the form of ADSs. Vedanta owns 53.9% of Sterlite and has management control of the company. Protest by Public of Tuticorin started for not following Environmental Clearance Issues. The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) accused the factory of releasing noxious gas in

372-739: A report by the Wildlife Institute of India as well as independent reports/studies carried out by civil society groups. In January 2009, thousands of locals formed a human chain around the hill in protest at the plans to start bauxite mining in the area. The Union Environment Ministry in August 2010 rejected earlier clearances granted to a joint venture led by the Vedanta Group company Sterlite Industries for mining bauxite from Niyamgiri hills. Vedanta's Alumina Refinery in Lanjigarh

434-510: A strong signal to companies that trample on tribal peoples' rights: we will not bankroll your abuses. Anybody that has shares in Vedanta should sell them today if they care about human rights." Vedanta responded by expressing disappointment at the church's actions, and that it is "fully committed to pursuing its investments in a responsible manner, respecting the environment and human rights". The NGO Amnesty International has also criticised

496-460: A war with Quli Qutb Mulk , the first Qutb Shahi Sultan of Golconda and successfully stopped his advance towards his kingdom. However, he had to surrender the rich fertile land located in the middle of Godavari-Krishna Delta to execute a peace treaty which made Godavari the border of the two kingdoms. Rayagada remained under the Kingdom of Jeypore until the dissolution act of 1947. During

558-431: Is 57.52 percent of the total. Its 11 blocks have been covered by a tribal sub-plan, with three micro-projects in operation for pre-literate indigenous tribal communities. Rayagada's topography helps the tribal communities maintain their cultural identity; 4,785.36 square kilometres (1,847.64 sq mi) is forested, 777.27 square kilometres (300.11 sq mi) of which is reserved forest . Its predominant tribes are

620-516: Is a process of incest taboo prevalent among these communities in its customs. These exogamous clan group have resulted in existence of dominant clan groups which was due to a process of marriage and kinship which formed during a long period of time. In 1997 Sterlite Industries , a part of the Vedanta Resources group, put forward proposals to construct an aluminium refinery at the nearby location of Lanjigarh and to extract bauxite from

682-503: Is also an important railway station; via Parlakhemundi , it is connected to Naupada on the main east-coast railway line from Kolkata to Chennai by a 90-kilometre (56 mi) 1,676 mm ( 5 ft 6 in ) broad-gauge line which was converted from 762 mm ( 2 ft 6 in ) narrow gauge in 2011. The 40-kilometre (25 mi) narrow-gauge line (the Paralakhemedi Light Railway, or PLR)

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744-505: Is formed without any kind of hierarchy where a complete egalitarian system is created by crosscutting any kind of social affiliation. This culture of clan division is undoubtedly an integrated system and primarily has its allegiance with the “ Kondh Pradhan ". The Kondh community in the Niyamgiri hills is organized into many clans from which thirty-six clans are clearly identifiable where each clan possess their own customary territories which

806-575: Is headquartered in Mumbai. Sterlite owns 100.0% of Sterlite Energy and has management control of the company. In 1992, Anil Agarwal created the Vedanta Foundation as the vehicle through which the group companies would carry out their philanthropic programs and activities. In the financial year 2013–14, the Vedanta group companies and the Vedanta foundation invested US$ 49.0 million in building hospitals , schools and infrastructure, conserving

868-593: Is locally also known as padars (consisting several hills). The Dongria Kondh people have more than 300 settlements or hamlets within their clan territory which is also not a permanent establishment rather these communities abandon the other communities in search of new ones within their own habitat region. The reason behind abandoning their houses can be because of practising of slash and burn agriculture also locally known as podu in which they leave one piece of land and move to another for further agricultural purposes. The socio-political governing and decision-making body of

930-655: Is one of the 19 districts in Odisha receiving aid from the Backward Regions Grant Fund (BRGF). The district has three Odisha Legislative Assembly (Vidhan sabha) constituencies. Rayagada district is part of the Koraput Lok Sabha constituency. Rayagada railway station has direct service to Chennai , Kolkata , Hyderabad , Bhubaneswar , Raipur , Bengaluru , Ahmedabad , Mumbai , Jamshedpur , Jodhpur and New Delhi . Gunupur

992-597: Is primarily owned by the family of Anil Agarwal through Volcan Investments , a holding vehicle with a 61.7% stake in the business. Vedanta limited (formerly Sesa Goa / Sterlite ) is one of the many Indian subsidiaries of Vedanta resources and operates iron ore mines in Goa. Vedanta was listed on the London Stock Exchange and was a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index until chairman, Anil Agarwal's offer to take

1054-529: The British Raj , Rayagada was under the then-newly demoted Jeypore Samasthanam and was part of Koraput district ; it was carved from the district on 2 October 1992 as part of Odisha's district-expansion plan. The district is reportedly rich in bauxite and silicon . In 2006, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj named Rayagada one of the country's 250 most backward districts (out of a total of 640 ). It

1116-860: The Christian Hospital , Bissam Cuttack offers B.Sc. Nursing program. Vedanta Resources Vedanta Resources Limited is a diversified mining company headquartered in London , United Kingdom. It is the largest mining and non-ferrous metals company in India and has mining operations in Australia and Zambia and oil and gas operations in three countries. Its main products are Zinc , Lead , Silver , Oil & Gas , Iron Ore , Steel , Aluminium and Power . It has also developed commercial power stations in India in Odisha (2,400 MW) and Punjab (1,980 MW). The company with 20,000 employees

1178-854: The Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust , the Marlborough Ethical Fund, Millfield House Foundation and PGGM . The Economic Times criticised the project in an editorial, stating that if the mine goes ahead it will "impoverish a defenceless populace, perhaps to extinction." In July 2010, the Chief Secretary of the Indian state of Orissa ordered a new investigation into the rights of the Dongria Kondh tribe affected by Vedanta Resources' bauxite mine, in what Survival International characterised as

1240-727: The Khonds and the Soras . Govind Chandra Dev (Zilla) High School , founded in 1938, is one of the district's oldest high schools. Government Girls' High School , in Rayagada, was founded in 1964. A primary school was founded at the Thakkar Bapa Ashram in 1958 for tribal students. The Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya of Rayagada and Kendriya Vidyalaya Rayagada are two central government boarding school in Rayagada. There are many ODISHA ADARSHA VIDYALAYA [OAV] and walfare high schools and

1302-648: The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom confirmed that Vedanta could be sued in England concerning business liability for human rights violations and environmental damage. In July 2010, Sterlite Industries, a subsidiary of Vedanta Group, received a tax notice of about ₹ 3.24 billion (US$ 39 million), and was charged with violating several rules by the excise department in India. Excise officials charged Sterlite Industries with misdeclaration because

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1364-743: The "...third major blow to Vedanta in a month". A four-member panel set up by the government of India in the Ministry of Environment and Forests investigated the bauxite mining proposal over Niyamgiri near Lanjigarh in the districts of Kalahandi and Rayagada in Orissa . The area has been the traditional habitat of two particularly vulnerable tribal groups, the Dongria Kondh and the Kutia Kondh. The committee submitted its report on 16 August 2010, saying "The Vedanta Company has consistently violated

1426-626: The Balco smelter in Korba, Chhattisgarh collapsed on 23 September 2009, killing at least 40 workers. Balco and GDCL management have been accused of negligence in the incident. On 17 November 2020, a mining-related "geotechnical incident" caused a landslide at the Gamsberg Mine in South Africa and 10 miners became trapped; with mining halted, eight miners were rescued, one died and one body

1488-465: The Dongria Kondh community is also known as the Kutumba . To make the work of the then divided into two groups one which functions at the level of clan or Kuda Kutumba and one at the level of settlement or Nayu Kutumba . The management of each clan is then done according to a more root level division, in which a separate group of people are dedicated to address the religious and political matters of

1550-515: The Dongria Kondh hence four functional groups or punjas are formed. The punjas of the Dongria Kondhs are jani , pujari , bismajhi and mandal . The kuda kutumba presides over the matha mandal which manages the affairs of a particular clan in a cluster of villages. It presides and solves disputes related to inter-ethnic and inter-religious groups. The Dongria Kondh have adopted a system of imparting cultural and traditional values to

1612-664: The East Coast to Vijayawada (the junction of Southern Maratha Railway and Nizam's Guaranteed State Railway ) was opened for traffic between 1893 and 1896. The railway brought service to Naupada in 1894. Due to a policy change by the British government, the Bengal Nagpur Railway took over East Coast Railway's northern section from Vizianagaram to Cuttack, including the Puri branch line, by 23 January 1902. The PLR

1674-744: The Forest Conservation Act [FCA], the Forest Rights Act [FRA], the Environment Protection Act [EPA] and the Orissa Forest Act in active collusion with the State officials. Allowing mining by depriving two primitive tribal groups of their rights over the proposed mining site to benefit a private company would shake the faith of the tribal people in the laws of the land ". Based on a panel report,

1736-514: The NSE and BSE. Sterlite owns 64.9% of the share capital in HZL and has management control. Sterlite has a call option to acquire the government of India's remaining ownership interest. Vedanta's iron ore mining operations in India are operated under the umbrella of Vedanta Limited , a company headquartered in Panaji , India. It has mining operations in Goa and Karnataka. Originally founded as Sesa Goa,

1798-585: The Niyamgiri Hills as feedstock for the refinery, as a joint venture with the state-owned Orissa Mining Corporation. The refinery opened in 2006, but the mining development was held up by legal action, and it was found that the construction of the refinery had broken laws relating to environmental protection and local people's rights. The company argued that mining on Niyamgiri should proceed, as it would enable aluminium to be produced more economically than bringing in raw materials from greater distances. There

1860-411: The adolescents and youths in their villages through exclusive youth dormitories. The Dongria women are also given equal status in the society in matters such as widow remarriage, possessing property without the interference of their husbands and sons. The Dongria Kondh family structure depends on which clan the person belongs to as clan exogamy is practised in this community which according to some people

1922-433: The air. It said sulphur-dioxide levels had gone off the charts on the night of 23 March in the year 2013. It showed a reading of 2939.55 mg/cubic metre against the prescribed limit of 1250 mg/ cubic metre more people where affected by cancer and other breathing disorders but the Indian government did not take any action. Konkola Copper Mines : Vedanta owns 79.4% of KCM's share capital and have management control of

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1984-493: The assets of Asarco , a copper mining business, out of Chapter 11 for US$ 2.6 billion . and in 2010, it acquired Anglo-American's portfolio of Zinc assets in South Africa, Namibia and Ireland. In 2011, Vedanta acquired 58.5% controlling stake in Cairn India , India's largest private sector oil & gas company and in 2013, Sterlite Industries and Sesa Goa announced a merger. The merger took place in August 2013 and

2046-424: The battle of Chawpagada. Vishwanath Dev Gajapati (1527 - 1571 CE), the suryavanshi king of Nandapur (later Jeypore ) established his capital on the bank of Nagavali and named it Rayagada or Rai-gadh. Under his rule the place flourished economically which proved beneficial to the vast kingdom that stretched from the confines of Jharkhand and West Bengal to River Godavari in south. During his reign he fought

2108-399: The community is adapted to the surroundings of Niyamgiri forested hill country, where they have lived for many generations. The Dongria Kondh derive their name from dongar , meaning ‘agricultural land on hill slopes’, and the name for themselves is Jharnia – "protector of streams". The people of Niyamgiri use Kui language . Kui language is not written, but it is spoken among

2170-657: The company private went unconditional in September 2018. The company was founded in Bombay (now Mumbai ) in 1976 by Anil Agarwal , as a scrap-metal dealership. In 1979, he acquired the Shamsher Sterling Corporation (subsequently renamed Sterlite Industries), a manufacturer of power and control cables. The company acquired a majority stake in Balco , the Indian state aluminium business, in 2001. It

2232-560: The company's record on human rights. It has said, "[I]t is clear that Vedanta Resources and its subsidiaries [...] have failed to respect the human rights of the people of Lanjigarh and the Niyamgiri Hills" adding, "The proposed bauxite mine [...] threatens the survival of a protected Indigenous community [...] However, these risks have been largely ignored and consultation with and disclosure of information to affected communities have been almost non-existent." Several shareholders sold their shares because of human rights concerns. This includes

2294-619: The company. KCM's other shareholder is ZCCM Investment Holdings plc. The government of Zambia has a controlling stake in ZCCM Investment Holdings plc. Copper Mines of Tasmania : CMT is headquartered in Queenstown, Tasmania . Sterlite owns 100.0% of CMT and has management control of the company. Hindustan Zinc : HZL is headquartered in Udaipur in the state of Rajasthan . HZL's equity shares are listed and traded on

2356-550: The consolidated group was then called Sesa Sterlite Ltd (now Vedanta Limited ). In June 2018, Vedanta acquired 90% stake in Electrosteel Steels, a steel producer. In September 2018, the company announced that Anil Agarwal would be taking Vedanta Resources private on 1 October 2018. Sterlite Industries (India): Sterlite is registered office headquartered in Tuticorin , Tamil Nadu , India. Sterlite has been

2418-415: The eldest male member of the most powerful family of the clan is generally used to denote that particular clan. This system of classification of clans within the Dongria Kondh community is a process of clan division which is also similar to Native American society where there was a presence of dispersed clan distribution throughout the land. According to anthropologist Robert H. Winthrop, these type of clan

2480-498: The environment and funding community programs that improve health, education and livelihood of over 4.1 million people. The initiatives were undertaken in partnership with the government and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Among his inspirations, Agarwal counts Andrew Carnegie and David Rockefeller who built public works with their fortunes, and Bill Gates . The activities funded by his philanthropy are focused on child welfare, women empowerment and education . Anil Agarwal

2542-520: The following table. There are 17 Police Stations under the three Police Sub-Divisions in Rayagada district are listed in the following table. In the third century BC, during the reign of Ashoka , Odisha was part of the Kalinga empire. The hilly track between the Vamshadhara and Nagavali Rivers was known for its spices. The Rastriks were defeated by Kharvela , the emperor of Kalinga, during

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2604-479: The government of India has served a show cause notice on the company on why its Stage I environment clearance should not be cancelled. In October 2017, London's Court of Appeal in the case of Lungowe v Vedanta Resources plc ruled that nearly 2,000 Zambians could sue Vedanta Resources plc as a parent company in English courts over alleged pollution of their village. In concluding the same litigation in 2019,

2666-629: The increased use of fertiliser by farmers. It was reported in August 2015 that villagers in Chingola, Zambia can smell and taste toxic pollution/leaks from the largest copper mine in Africa owned by KCM. Vedanta Resources was ranked as "the worst of the 12 biggest diversified miners at reducing emissions and planning for climate change", according to the Digging Deep report (CDP). A chimney under construction by Gannon Dunkerley & Company at

2728-412: The many gods of the village, farm and forests and their leader, Niyam Raja. The traditional Dongria Kondh society has always been based on a tightened family structure involving people from different generations and these were marked by geographically demarcated clans where each clan was identified by a male animal name. The identification of clan is further classified by surname basis where the surname of

2790-580: The mining proposals. In January 2014 the Indian Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change announced that it was refusing clearance for the mine. The state government of Odisha has since unsuccessfully sought permission from the Supreme Court to restart the scheme. In 2010 Survival International placed an advertisement in Variety magazine drawing attention to similarities between

2852-469: The people of Kondh community. The Dangaria Kandha worship Niyam Raja (Niyamraja), the supreme god of the Niyamgiri jungle, believing that Niyam Raja is the source of their essential resources. The deep reverence and respect that the Dongria have for their gods, hills, and streams pervades every aspect of their lives. Even their art reflects the mountains, in the triangular designs found on village shrines to

2914-520: The plant including a small increase of the pH value of the river Vamshadhara below the refinery and a high level of SPM in the stack emissions. In October 2009 it was reported that the British government has criticised Vedanta for its treatment of the Dongria Kondh tribe in Orissa, India. The company refused to co-operate with the British government and with an OECD investigation. It has rejected charges of environmental damage, saying it may be related to

2976-538: The scenario of James Cameron 's film Avatar and the situation of the Dongria Kondh. Rayagada district Rayagada district is a district in southern Odisha , a state in India , which became a separate district in October 1992. Its population consists mainly of tribes , primarily the Khonds and the Soras . In addition to Odia , Kui and Sora are spoken by the district's indigenous population. It

3038-607: The supreme court. The sub-committee has found "blatant violations" of environmental regulations and grave concerns about the impact of the Niyamgiri mine on both the environment and the local tribal population. The committee recommended to the court that mining in such an ecologically sensitive area should not be permitted. In February 2010, the Church of England decided to disinvest from the company on ethical grounds. The Director of Survival International, Stephen Corry , said, "The Church’s unprecedented and very welcome decision sends

3100-494: The work has been completed. Rayagada district had a population of 967,911 in the 2011 Census of India , roughly equal to that of Fiji or the US state of Montana . The district ranked 454th of India's 640 districts , and had a population density of 136 inhabitants per square kilometre (350/sq mi). Its population growth rate from 2001 to2011 was 15.74 percent. Rayagada has a sex ratio of 1,048 females to 1,000 males, and

3162-533: Was a 20-ton 0-6-4 tank engine with 27-inch-diameter (69 cm) coupled wheels and a 4.75-ton axle load. Management of the BNR was taken over by the government of India in October 1944. On 14 April 1952, when Indian Railways was regrouped, it became part of the Eastern Railway. The merger was short-lived, however, and on 1 August 1955 it was merged with the new South Eastern Railway. A set of four postage stamps

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3224-585: Was also taken over by the Bengal Nagpur Railway that year. In its first few years, the PLR had incurred losses; after 1910 it began making a profit, which increased after 1924–25. This motivated the raja to extend the line to Gunupur in two phases in 1929 and 1931. There were now ten stations between Naupada and Gunupur: Tekkali, Paddasan, Temburu, Ganguvada, Patapatnam, Paralakhemedi, Kashinagar, Lihuri, Bansidhara and Palasingi. The standard PLR locomotive

3286-645: Was considerable opposition among the Dongria Kondh, and campaigners against the scheme, including the Wildlife Institute of India , maintained that it would cause damage to the environment and disrupt the way of life of the local people. The company repudiated the environmental claims and said that it was improving the local economy and providing new facilities. The campaign against the mining proposals gathered support from Survival International and individuals including Arundhati Roy , Michael Palin , Bianca Jagger and Joanna Lumley . The mining development

3348-522: Was criticised by the Orissa State Pollution Control Board (the statutory environmental regulation body) for air pollution and water pollution in the area. According to Amnesty International, local people reported dust, allegedly from the plant, settling on clothes, crops and food. Vedanta officials claimed there was no dust pollution from the plant at all. An environmental inspection of the plant reported water pollution by

3410-434: Was established by Gajpatirajas of Paralakhemundi, the former raja of Paralakhemedi, to connect his capital with Naupada . The government authorized construction in 1898, and the line was opened to traffic two years later at a cost of ₹ 700,000. The East Coast Railway began in 1893 with construction of the 96-kilometre (60 mi) Cuttack-Khurda Road-Puri line, and its subsequent 1,280-kilometre (800 mi) link along

3472-498: Was first listed on the London Stock Exchange in 2003 when, as Vedanta Resources, it raised US$ 876 million through an initial public offering . In 2006, Vedanta acquired Sterlite Gold, a gold mining business, and in 2007, Vedanta Resources bought a 51% stake in Sesa Goa , India's largest producer-exporter of iron ore , and the company became listed on NYSE with a US$ 2 billion ADS issue. In 2008, Vedanta bought certain of

3534-546: Was founded by Maharajah Biswanatha Deba Gajapati of the Surjyabansha dynasty of Jeypore . Rayagada covers an area of 7,584.7 square kilometres (2,928.5 sq mi), and is divided into eleven blocks . Agriculture is the chief source of income, and paddy , wheat, ragi , green and black gram , groundnut , sweet potato and maize are the district's major crops. The 11 Blocks and Tahasils in Rayagada district under two administrative Sub-Divisions are listed in

3596-582: Was inspired by Bill Gates . Vedanta has been criticised by human rights and activist groups, including Survival International , Amnesty International and Niyamgiri Surakshya Samiti because of the company's operations in Niyamgiri hills in Odisha , India that are said to threaten the lives of the Dongria Kondh people who populate this region. The Niyamgiri hills are also claimed to be an important wildlife habitat in Eastern Ghats of India as per

3658-500: Was missing. On 18 January 2021, the company confirmed that mining operations had resumed. In respect of bauxite mines at Lanjigarh , Orissa , public interest litigations were filed in 2004 by Indian non-government organisations led by the People's Union for Civil Liberties to the supreme court sub-committee regarding the potential environmental impact of the mines. The Ministry of Environment and Forests received reports from expert organisations and has submitted its recommendations to

3720-438: Was placed on hold by the Government of India in 2010, with a statement that the company had flouted the law and disregarded the rights of the Dongria Kondh. In 2013 the Supreme Court of India ordered the Odisha Government to consult the local tribespeople, citing the protection afforded to the rights of tribal and forest groups under the Forest Rights Act 2006. Twelve Dongria Kondh village councils were consulted and all rejected

3782-469: Was ranked second in Hurun India Philanthropy List 2014 for his personal donation of ₹1,796 crore (about US$ 36 million). He was ranked 25th in the Hurun India Rich List with a personal fortune of ₹12,316 crore. In 2015, the Vedanta group in partnership with Ministry for Women and Child development inaugurated the first "Nand Ghar" or modern anganwadi, of the 4,000 planned to set up. Agarwal has pledged to donate 75% of his family's wealth to charity, saying he

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3844-424: Was released during the 1987 BNR centennial, one stamp featuring the PL 691 locomotive. The foundation stone was laid for the Naupada-Gunupur gauge conversion at Naupada on 27 September 2002. On 1 April 2003, PLR became a part of the East Coast Railway. The line was closed for gauge conversion on 9 June 2004. Although the 290-kilometre (180 mi) Khurda-Bolangir broad-gauge line was approved in 1995, only about half

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