The challenges faced by women in mining regions differ significantly in many respects from those in the non-mining areas. During our recent visit to Mahanadi Coal Field Ltd. (MCL), Basundhara, Sundargarh district of Odisha, the women shared their concerns regarding the manifold challenges they faced in everyday life as a consequence of mining.
Kishori and Saraswati face displacement from Gopalpur, a village in Sundargarh district of Odisha. They have been staying in Gopalpur for long — Saraswati for 40 years and Kishori for about 35 years. Their houses have been adjacent, and they have lived as a family. Since the MCL acquired their village for mining activities, villagers now await relocation. The anxiety that plagues these women currently is whether they will be relocated together or not. Both had always lived together and therefore, the separation, if it happened, would definitely impact them emotionally. They are unaware of the new relocation site. They hope to move to the same location to minimise the emotional burden of the displacement.
