Justice in Mining Network

Message Dear friends,  Johar! The July newsletter offers a condensed yet urgent glimpse into India’s current socio-environmental landscape, marked by rapid industrial expansion, ecological degradation, forced displacements, and growing civil resistance. At its core is India’s 8.52 million tonnes of Rare Earth Element reserves, positioning the nation as a global resource hub, but also raising red flags about extraction in ecologically sensitive zones across states like Odisha, Gujarat, and Tamil Nadu. Large-scale development projects continue to override environmental safeguards. In Great Nicobar, scientists were reportedly pressured to underplay the impact of a ₹81,000 crore project that will raze 130 sq. km of rainforest. Similarly, a highway through Arunachal’s Namdapha Tiger Reserve will result in the felling of over 1.5 lakh trees, despite concerns from conservationists. Human displacement remains a stark consequence. In Assam’s Bilasipara, 20,000 people were evicted for a ther...