TNI Bureau: Koraput district in Odisha, known for its natural beauty with Deomali peak and Duduma Falls, is facing a serious environmental and health crisis linked to bauxite mining and aluminium production by NALCO, according to a recent video report by ‘The Rajdharma’.

Koraput accounts for about 50 per cent of India’s bauxite mining, making the country the world’s second-largest aluminium producer. NALCO, established 45 years ago by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, operates Asia’s largest aluminium complex in the region.

‘The Rajdharma’ report highlights severe health problems in nearby villages, including cases of children suffering from serious skin diseases. Villagers attribute these illnesses to contaminated water, locally called “caustic water,” which they say comes from red mud ponds containing caustic soda used in bauxite processing. The waste is alleged to leak into natural water sources used for drinking and bathing.

Livestock have also reportedly fallen ill or died after drinking the contaminated water. Residents say the land near the waste sites has become so toxic that trees and grass no longer grow, and white dust from the area causes eye and skin irritation.

Despite NALCO’s claims of spending on corporate social responsibility, villagers report no visible improvements in healthcare, schools, or roads. They also claim that people are dying at much younger ages than expected.

‘The Rajdharma’ report questions the role of pollution control authorities and calls for government intervention. Villagers have demanded relocation, saying they are “fighting a war with death.”