Making India's mining sector socially and environmentally viable

While mining continues to exploit mineral-rich areas and impoverish their people, a government panel ignores these costs to focus on fast-tracking private investment in the sector.
By Chandra Bhushan

I learnt an important lesson on my travels in Orissa's Sundergarh and Keonjhar districts. One, the people of one of the most resource-rich areas of the country were also some of its poorest; and, two, this was because their land contained minerals that were important for industrial growth.

My trip was preceded by a visit from two social activists to our office in December 2006