Undermining India

Existing and proposed mining activities threaten ecologically sensitive areas across India. These include protected areas and wildlife corridors; other areas rich in biodiversity and crucial water catchments. Many of these areas are also home to tribal peoples and other communities whose livelihood security is threatened by mining. While a substantial number of the mining threats are from ongoing mining (both large and small), a major emerging threat is new mining, particularly in light of the liberalization of the mining sector in the past few years which has ‘opened up’ access to more areas.

This report covers the following: a national picture of ecologically sensitive areas threatened by existing or proposed mining activities; an analysis of the legal and policy framework on mining and environment; the response of citizens and Indian courts to mining threats, a review of current practices for ecological amelioration of abandoned mines; and a set of concrete recommendations on the issue.