Leena Mukherjee
Independent Researcher
India
Abstract
The rapid expansion of mining activities in Odisha over the past two decades has precipitated profound socio-environmental transformations, particularly among indigenous tribal communities whose ancestral lands have been requisitioned for resource extraction. This study employs a mixed‐methods geospatial approach, integrating time‐series satellite imagery (2005–2020) with a structured survey of 100 tribal respondents across Keonjhar and Sundergarh districts, to quantify land‐use changes, displacement patterns, and subsequent impacts on traditional livelihoods, cultural practices, and health outcomes. Geospatial analysis reveals a staggering 27% reduction in dense forest cover and an 18% contraction of agricultural lands within mining peripheries. Survey findings indicate that 88% of households experienced total or partial loss of cultivable land, 52% report diminished access to potable water, and 38% have been unable to continue customary forest‐based livelihoods. Psychosocial distress—manifested in increased reports of anxiety and lowered social cohesion—emerges as an unaddressed consequence of relocation. Drawing on participatory mapping workshops and policy review, the study recommends an integrated displacement mitigation framework, emphasizing community‐led land‐rights adjudication, transparent compensation mechanisms, livelihood diversification programs, and restoration of ecological corridors. These interventions aim to reconcile economic imperatives of mining with constitutional safeguards for Scheduled Tribes under India’s Fifth Schedule and the Forest Rights Act (2006), thereby promoting sustainable development and social justice in mineral‐rich regions.
Keywords
Mining Displacement, Tribal Communities, Geospatial Analysis, Odisha, Socio-Economic Impact
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