Malajkhand turning into Hiroshima

Hindustan copper limited's mine spilling poison, farm land of hundreds of farmer
destroyed, No compensation given, Underground water resources polluted,
Threat to Kanha National Park.

The scars and marks on the body of Shyam singh remind us of the Hiroshima Nagasaki atomic
Tragedy. The traces on Shyam Singh's body has been given by the copper mining PSU
Hindustan Copper limited working in Malajkhand. Three months ago he went to a pool near the
mines to free his bull caught there. He succeeds in getting the bull out but his body was full of
blisters. For next two months pus came out of them. Shyam Singh, owner of 4 acres of barren
land has to spend Rs. 500 a week on his medicines by selling his land.

70 tone of sand is excavated daily from the open cast mine spread across 480 acres. The sand
contains chemicals like manganese, nickel, zinc and molybdenum. This sand is dumped around
the mine while the rest of residual is dumped into the Banjar River near the mine. The company
has made a huge tailing dam for this where 5 crores tons of residual waste has been collected.
Chemicals dissolved in water used in the mine have polluted all the water bodies and
groundwater in 20 KM radius. The effect of pollution from the mine is spread over 134 villages
where Baiga and Gond tribes are major inhabitant. But 10 villages like Chinditola, Borkedha,
swollen, Jinjori, Krmsra, Nyatola and Bhimjori, which are closely settled bear the brunt most.
Surprisingly the MP state pollution control board, despite visiting the area regularly, from
December 2010 to February 2011 didn't find any evidence of spread of pollution.

Villagers from the pollution affected villages protest in front of Mukki gate of Kanha for 35
days. During the demonstration under the banner of Akhil Bhartiye Aadivasi Mahashbha, Chindi
tola and Borekheda village panchayat passed a resolution of 10 demands along with providing
safe drinking water and compensation to 410 farmers of 10 worst affected villages. After which
district administration accepted compensation of Rs. 8 lakh for 110 farmers for harvest of 2006-
2008 season. 300 farmers are still denied of the compensation which has been reduced to Rs. 8
lakh from Rs. 22 lakh. Sources at HCL said that a team of researchers at regional science
laboratory Jabalpur confirmed presence of acid in land around the mines and recommended for
payment of compensation. That report was laid to rest in some bin by HCL.

Shyam Singh(45) of Borekheda was a security guard in HCL during 2007-2009. He said that not
only humans but animals drinking the water from ponds near the mine suffer from diseases like
swelling of stomach, blisters in tongue and at times death. Hairs of Devilaal Markam (24), a
neighbor of Shyam Singh has disappeared. The reason behind this is the pond near the tailing
dam where he used to bath for months. Villagers from Borekheda said that, when ever there is
high winds, the sand from mine make it look like a dust storm. This sand which is five times
finer than the normal sand sticks to the body and causes etching. This sand enters peoples body
through their farm, barn, food and breathe.
The toxic Farms

Sand has spread up to a height of 2 feet in 10 villages near the HCL mines. Some fields have
become completely swamp. The farm of Amrwati from Chinditola village has been transformed
into a quagmire. Earlier she was used to grow 15 to 20 quintals of paddy. But now getting off in
the swamp field is fraught with risks. Amrawati says that as the mountains of sand are getting
higher their problem is also getting deeper. Farmers from the villages are able to grow 3-5
quintals of paddy per acre. For this they have to use more urea and DAP. Water leaks
continuously from the tailing dam, half KM from the villages. Due to this also they have to use
more urea and DAP. Even so the water from the wells drilled is also polluted. Rahtam Singh
Marai former sarpanch of Chinddi tola village says that water of the wells turns blue overnight.
Same situation is with the water of the Hand Pump. Daily consumption of the water causes
heaviness in the body, fever and itching. At the same time Diphtheria is a common disease in
cattle.

Cracks in house due to Blasting

Every day blasting takes place around 1.30 PM in the mine. This time has been fixed, since the
administrative section of the company goes for lunch. Echo of the explosion is heard in 20 KM
radius. It has caused cracks in the walls of the houses in 10 KM radius. SK Verma, senior
manager of the company claims that the explosion has not done any damage to houses.
However HCl's administrative building in Mlanjkhand itself has cracks on walls. The effect is
blown up in the depths of the ground also. Rahtm Singh said the old village wells which were
nearly dried up in summer till 1972-73, are filled to capacity; however, this water is highly
polluted. The sand which comes flying in the air is harming the environment in near by areas
also.

Threat to environment
Drains have been made form the tailing Dam for extraction of polluted water. These drains meet
in the village pond and same water is leaking into the ground. Minerals in the sand strangle the
leaves and branches when it rains. While Sarpanch Rahtm Singh has long fought the case, but
authorities had not taken heed. He says that there used to be dense forest around the mine which
is becoming clear in the middle of the sand.

Itching, diabetes, paralysis disease on rise

In 10 most affected villages near the HCL mines average age has declined to 55 years. Children
are reporting disease like etching and hair loss.Rahtam Singh said 70 per cent of these villages
have complained of diabetes. There have been cases of sudden attacks of paralysis since the age
of 50 and then death after a while. There are only four elderly people remaining in Borekheda
village. Surprisingly, despite these complaints HCL management has not yet examined water
quality and pollution levels. ON Tiwari, Deputy General Manager HCL, and in charge of
Malajkhand said that the Nagpur-based National Environment Engineering
Institute (NEERI), has been tasked to monitor the impact on the environment, which will present
its report by October.

Mobile hospital as a show piece

HCL, for the treatment of people in the affected villages have arranged for a mobile hospital, but
this arrangement has been more off a show piece. This is sent only once in a month in the
affected villages. A staff of one doctor and two nurses treats people for, fever and flu and
provides them some medicines, just to complete the formality. They don't have medicines for
Itching, skin diseases, diphtheria. Due to complaints of groundwater pollution, water filters of Rs
1200 was made available free of cost by company management in 2007. This water filter worked
only in removing the dust and soil from the water and thus was of no use for the people, so they
returned it back to the company.

Threat to Kanha Waste Recycling Plant not

Scrap and waste out of HCL's mine is being thrown into
the river Sone and Banjar. River Banjar flows through
Kanha Tiger Reserve, 20 kms from here and joins the
Narmada at Mandla. SK Verma, from senior
management from the company accepts this but claims
that there is no threat to Kanha or river Narmada.
Company doesn't have any documented scientific
research as evidence for this fact. Interestingly, the same
water of river Banjar is fed to the employees of HCL,
after filtering it through an intake well. But there are no
such arrangements for the Baiga tribes of affected
villages.
running
Sanjay Uike, former president of
Malajkhand Nagar Palika claims
that HCL has established a water
recycling plant for cleaning of
polluted water of tailing dam but
they never run it. While company
officials say that whenever it is
needed, the plant is operated.
However, whenever needed has
to be firmly defined.

Work on contract

Before the establishment of HCL mine in 1973, while signing the MOU, company has promised
the administration that one member from each of the 903 affected families will get permanent
job in the company, but only 757 families got the job. After one or two year they were given
voluntary retirement saying that they were incapacitated for working in mines. Currently 450-
500 people are working under contractors, temporarily, where they get wage of Rs. 100 to Rs.
150 per day. These workers have no way to prevent themselves from pollution. Uike alleged that
the contractors are not licensed. So to avoid legal cases they implement the work order in
installments so that less than 20 laborers are required.

Implications of case of royalty

For the purpose of waste disposal which was gathering every day from the mines, Manganese
Ore India Limited (MIL) was approached. MIL was ready to buy this residue, but Madhya
Pradesh state government imposed ponderous royalty of 54 per cent. Gujarat levies a royalty of
10% for buying similar residue. As a result the issue got stuck. Now HCL has proposed to give
the residue for free which is under consideration. Chennai-based Star trace has been successful in
 making fertilizer out of this residue. Now the company is expecting the state government to
reduce the royalty.

About HCL

- Hindustan copper Limited acquired land in 4 villages under Mohgaon Nagar Palika and
Borekheda village between 1974 to1977. Started mining in 1982
- HCL got 30 years lease for open cast mine in 1973
- 70% copper of country is in this area, 80% copper of total production capacity of HCL is
produced here.
- It is expected that 14 crore ton of copper is there in HCL Mines.
- Currently HCL is producing 20 Lakh metric tons copper per year.
- It is expected that Malajkhand mines have copper seam of 600 meter under the ground.
HCL has planned to increase the production capacity to 50 lakh metric ton per.

- The mine will increase the spread to 725.35 hectares, 248.50 hectares more than the
existing area.
- 115 hectares of land for mining, dumping of debris in the more than 133 hectares, Forest
area of 169 hectare for mining and 556 hectare for ponds to wash copper from soil

MP Pollution control board finds holes

- There is no drain for polluted water and rain water. The sand excavated from the mines
is bound to reach the farms with rain water.

- Debris are gathered and dumped in to HCL pool, from where mineral is sent for further
processing, there is no arrangement for drainage of this water.

Quote-1

"We have assigned a work of Rs. 45 Lakh, last month, to National environmental engineering
institute to assess the environmental impact in Malajkhand, they will submit their report in 9
months then only we would able to say something"

ON tiwari Deputy General Manager, In- Charge Malajkhand Project HCL

Quote-2

"Water makes its own way, it is wrong to say that Banjar River is polluted, if it was so Narmada
would not have been the cleanest river in the country, It is the water of Banjar which goes in to
Narmada"

SK Verma, Senior Manager Research and Development HCL

Report

Soumitra Roy, Rakesh Malviya

Vikas Samvad

Mobile 9977958934 ( rakesh) 8889104455 ( Soumitra) 0755-4252789