Bauxite survey in state stopped after protest by villagers

The survey to assess the exact reserve of bauxite in Jharkhand has been stalled due to protests by villagers fearing displacement. According to a map of the Geological Survey of India and the data available with the Remote Sensing Study, the state, especially the western part, has bauxite reserves spread over an area of around 460 sq km.

The state government has been able to issue mining license for around 60 sq km as the geology department is not aware of the exact reserve and quality of the ore. Sources in the state geology department said the survey was stopped after the surveyors faced resistance from villagers at six places. The villagers even threatened them with dire consequences. "Whenever we tried to conduct a ground survey, we had to face problems.