(Feature Image: -Vedanta’s red mud pond collapse on Sept. 15, 2024 inundates farmlands in Kalahandi. Photo: OTV)

Besides the dam induced flood events, the available media reports show two incidents of breach in industrial dams causing substantial flood damages to local people in India during 2024. The first incident took place in NMDC’s iron ore mine in Kirandul area of Dantewada district in Chhattisgarh in July 2024 in which collapse of an iron ore waste ‘check dam’ resulted in extensive flood damages in downstream areas.

The second such incident happened in September 2024 when aluminium mine waste dyke breached in Vedanta Alumina Lanjigarh facility in Kalahandi district of Odisha flooding scores of farmlands with toxic mud. Interestingly both the NMDC and Vedanta have blamed extreme rains reason behind the breach in their mine waste collection facilities while the reports indicate negligence in maintenance of these dams.

Continue reading “2024: Mining Dam Breach Flood Incidents in India” →