With this clearance, the hurdle for mining project is cleared. It shows that the public movements and oppositions to save Niyamgiri have least impact on state and Central Governments. As a consequence, over 5000 primitive tribes, Scheduled Castes and other traditional people who were living on the Niyamgiri forest will lose their livelihood.

It is pertinent to mention here that the Green Kalahandi movement is fighting against the Niyamgiri Bauxite Mining Project as the mining will have an adverse impact on environment. It is not only that the environment will be affected but also the tribal art and culture will be wipeout and the people will lose their livelihood.

On the other hand, the perennial streams will be perished once the mining start and the rivers getting the water from these perennial streams will be dry. Also, most of the rare reptiles will also be extinct. However, taking the plea of the Supreme Court order, both State and central Government are eager to issue the clearance letter. The Orissa Mining Corporation is given the lease of 721.323 hectare of land in Niyamgiri Mountain and the Sterlite, the sister concern of Vedanta will operate the bauxite mine in the said lease area.

Out of the total lease area, 672.018 hectares is forest land and 49.305 hectare is waste land. Out of the total lease area, 355.3 hectare is marked for mining, 2 hectare for storing the bauxite, 14 hectare for infrastructure, 30.56 hectare for road and conveyor belt, 12.28 hectare for green belt, 2 hectare for plant site, 0.5 hectare for storing explosive substance and 304.683 hectare will be reserved as unutilized area.

Vansadhara River and the Sakota River are flowing in the buffer zone of the mine at distance of 4 km and 7.5 and Nagavali River is flowing at a distance of 13 km from the mine area. There are eight reserve forests (RF) namely Niyamgiri RF, Patragurha RF, Raulaghimiri RF, Nachinigura RF, Hatisal RF, Karanja RF and Jalakrirha RF, seven protected reserve forests namely Khambessi PRF, Nimagiri PRF, Batarilima PRF, Kudlima PRF, Dahikhal PRF, Sarambi PRF and Chatikuna PRF and one protected forest, namely Jungle Block PF are located within the impact zone.

The targeted production capacity of the mine is 3 million TPA of bauxite and the life of mine will be 25 years. The ultimate working depth of the mine will be 30 meter and the groundwater table is reported at 78.64 m bellow groundwater level. At no point of time mining will be allowed for more than 20 hectares at a time.

There are 32 specific conditions and 16 general conditions are imposed in the clearance letter for compliance. After getting assurance form the state Government for compliance of all theses conditions the central government will give the final approval for mining. In a protest to the decision of central government in issuing environmental clearance to the Niyamgiri Project, several people forum will meet with Jayaram Ramesh, the Union Minister for Environment and Forest with in one or two days.

The Dongria Primitive Tribes are residing in the Niyamgiri Mountain and meeting their livelihood from the Niyamgiri Forest. The vehicular traffic of the mining will threaten the rare and endangered wildlife also. The pollution from the mine will pollute the rivers and streams originating form Niyamgiri.

It is also apprehended that the water flow in the rivers will be depleted. In spite of all such threats, the government has accorded environmental clearance without taking into account all these consequences.