Three individuals lost their lives on Tuesday after a landslide struck during illegal manganese extraction near Bichakundi village in Keonjhar district.
The incident occurred in the ecologically sensitive Dalapahad hill region under Joda police limits, deep within the Baitarani Reserve Forest.
The deceased—identified as Sandeep Prutti, Kande Munda, and Guru Champia—were reportedly engaged in unauthorised mineral excavation when a section of loose soil collapsed, burying them underneath. Despite a six-hour-long rescue operation, all three were found dead beneath the debris.
The site of the mishap, a protected forest area, has drawn renewed attention to rampant illegal mining practices in Odisha. Local sources allege that such activities continue unabated due to administrative laxity and high demand for minerals like manganese. While forest officials and law enforcement have made intermittent attempts to curb such practices, Tuesday’s tragedy underscores their limited impact.
Meanwhile, the incident comes amid weather-induced disruptions across the state. A separate landslide caused by torrential rain was also reported in the Koida mining belt of Sundargarh, blocking National Highway 520 and halting mineral transport.
Back in Mayurbhanj, parts of Similipal Wildlife Sanctuary remain cut off after another landslide blocked roads, isolating several villages.
Environmentalists and citizen groups have demanded a full-scale probe into the Keonjhar tragedy and stricter enforcement in ecologically fragile regions. With forest land increasingly falling prey to profit-driven mining, the latest disaster could serve as a grim wake-up call for policymakers.
