Sukinda

I went to Sukinda in September of this year. Sukinda town in the state of Orissa, India contains 

more than 95% of India's chromite ore deposits. Chromium, obtained from chemically

processing chromite ore is mainly used in the manufacture of stainless steel due to it's hardness and 

it is resistant to corrosion.  It is also an important metal used in the alloying of steel.

I had been there once during the  hot months and I was  curious to see how  things change 

during the monsoon season. During the summer months, the evidence of pollution from the

mining companies is much more stark. The homes, the streets and forests are covered in 

waste from the mines.

The Monsoon season is quite deceptive. The forests are lush and all the waste has been 

washed off the trees and homes. That waste though has seeped into the soil and possibly

into the groundwater. Most of the effluents that mining companies generate when processing

chromite is dumped into the rivers which are then diverted into farmland. Untreated waste

from the  Talangi chromite mines runs into the Damsola River and villagers continue to

use that water for bathing. Most villagers don't have much of a choice but to use contaminated 

water. Studies have shown high levels of the toxic substance hexavelant chromium
in the rivers, groundwater and in the air.

The photos here are a very rough edit which I hope to combine with my other series
on mining in the state of Orissa.

Sukinda - Images by Srinivas Kuruganti