According to Action Aid, the Supreme Court of India recently ruled in favour of the Britain-based mining company, Vedanta Resources, allowing it to go ahead with its proposed mining of the hills.

'This was even though the Centrally Empowered Committee appointed by the apex court stated that mining will lead to massive deforestation in the area and threaten the indigenous way of life there,' an Action Aid official said.

'In the recent past, a growing international scrutiny of Vedanta's activities in Orissa and elsewhere led the Norway Pension Fund to withdraw its investment of 15.6 million dollars from the company,' the Action Aid official said.

'We believe that the remaining shareholders need to be explained the true impact of the mining activity, carried out with their money and support, will have on this indigenous community,' the official added.