DBT Bureau
Bengaluru, 4 September 2025
India’s Ministry of Environment has put off a decision to allow bauxite mining by aluminium major, Vedanta over 700 hectares of forest land in eastern state of Odisha.
The ministry deferred the decision to divert the forest land over 700 hectres of land in Rayagada and Kalahandi districts of Odisha owing to unresolved issues over community consent.
These bauxite mines for which Vedanta was emerged as the preferred bidder in March 2023, is intended to supply this key raw material to Vedanta’s 6 million tonnes per annum alumina refinery at Lanjigarh.
These blocks are estimated to hold around 311 million tonne of bauxite reserves.
During the Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) meeting on August 25, 2025, the Environment Ministry noted that the reports from the Odisha government did not address the issues raised by local villagers and petitioner have moved to the Orissa High Court over mining of these blocks.
