In a major blow to the proposed bauxite mining projectof Vedanta Aluminium (VAL) in Niyamgiri Hills, Odisha, locals in 33 of the 36 adjacent villages opposed the project as they consider the hill as divine.

The district officials would hold gram sabhas in 10 more villages in both Rayagada and Kalahandi districts and most likely all these village councils would reject the mining proposal, reports indicate.

The Dongria Kondhs once again made it clear that if the government uses armed force to evict them to facilitate Vedanta's bauxite mining at Niyamgiri Hills, they would rather prefer to die fighting.

Recently, Dongria Kondhs of Serkapadi village expressed opposition to the mining project.

Meanwhile, some suspect that the Dongria Kondhs are being influenced by foreign-aided non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and some "questionable" elements to speak against mining in the region.

The suspicion draws credence from the fact that while 36 tribals were present at the meeting, over two hundred NGO activists were seen around the venue.

VAL wants to implement the mining project in order to supply bauxite to its raw material-starved alumina refinery at Lanjigarh on the foothill of Niyamgiri.

The firm set up the refinery after being promised to get bauxite supply locally.