Tijmali, Odisha

On this page you will find an overview of the resistance in Tijamli and a list of sources for more information. All photos credits to the photographers and news outlets that are linked.

We are children of Tijraja, how can we allow our Tijmali to be mined?
Tijmali is our soul, how can we live without our soul?
Mining will destroy not just the streams but our identity; how can we allow that to happen?
We shall fight for our mali parbat, our forests, by all means, but will not let Vedanta mine our soul.

– Tijmali: A Resistance In Defence of Knowledge, Identity and Dignity (2023)

Since Oct 2023, Vedanta Ltd. seek to extract 9 million tonnes of bauxite annually from the proposed Sijimali mine across 1,549 hectares, half of which is forest land, in Odisha over a 50 year period. The proposal is for an open cast mine, meaning the surface of the hill and its forests will be blasted out and excavated. The project is likely to displace 100 families from 18 villages and affect the livelihoods of an additional 500 families.

Locally in the kui language the hill area to be mined is known as Tijmali., whilst in government official records the mining area is referred to as Sijimali. The hill is inhabited by Kui Adivasis, and by Dalits. The hills are also protected under the Constitution and the Panchayat (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, which preserve and promote self-governance in tribal areas.

A 2025 report by the National Law School of India University, Bengaluru, titled Under the Surface – Human Rights and Environmental Implications of the Proposed Sijimali Bauxite Mine in Odisha interrogates the proposal and if it is in compliance with the human rights of affected communities and the environmental impact of such a project on the hills area and its residents. It highlights that the proposed mine is likely to cause irreversible and irreparable environmental damage and health issues including the loss of endangered and vulnerable biodiversity in the region, the contamination and depletion of ground water sources, risk of chronic health conditions from exposure to dust and pollution.

Apart from environmental clearance for the project, Vedanta will have to secure forest clearance too since the mining lease area includes 699.7 hectares of forest land. Also, there are two villages affected by the project that fall within the notified eco-sensitive zone of the Karlapat Wildlife Sanctuary. The boundaries of the sanctuary are next to large bauxite blocks, tijamli being one of them.

Ma Mati Mali Surakya Mancha (MMMSM) has been leading the resistance to Vedanta’s bauxite mining project, led largely by women from across villages in the hills area. On February 26, 27 and 28, around 200 police and paramilitary forces marched into three villages on consecutive days to paste arrest warrants on walls and trees of leading members of MMMSM. Since then there has been constant drone and police surveillance, raids on people’s homes and arrests. There have also been instances of plain clothed police officers harassing residents.