Mining and Land Acquisition: An Analysis of Mineral Rich Tribal Regions in Odisha

Abstract

Minerals constitute the backbone of economic growth in India, a country generously endowed with these natural resources. Unfortunately, to a great degree, minerals, forests, and tribal tracts are concentrated in the same geographic areas. Odisha is such an area. In recent times, large-scale industrialization, marked by the development of mining projects, has emerged as the biggest threat to the survival of tribal communities. The present paper will explore the magnitude and impact of land acquisition for such projects on the tribal inhabitants in the mining districts of Odisha.