Vedanta bauxite mining on Indian tribe's sacred mountain

The Vedanta company's Lanjigarh alumina refinery at the foot of Niyamgiri mountain in Orissa state, India. The mountain is regarded as sacred by the Dongria Kondh tribe, which relies on the jungle cover for their livelihood. But the tribe's survival is now threatened after India's Supreme Court gave permission for the British company to begin extracting bauxite from the mountain. It has already dug a number of test pits and started to cut down trees to push roads up the hillsides. The company is also building a large conveyor belt to carry the bauxite down to the Lanjigarh refinery. Some of the aluminium produced by the company is used in India's nuclear missile programme Photograph: Gethin Chamberlain

Kadaraka Kuli, 50, a member of the Dongria Kondh tribe in Orissa state, India. He is the joint head of the village of Devapada on the slopes of the sacred Niyamgiri mountain. He is sitting in front of the arch beneath which sacrifices to the mountain are performed Photograph: Gethin Chamberlain

Puroli Maghi, 22, a member of the Kutia Kondh tribe in the village of Dangadahal in the foothills of Niyamgiri mountain in Orissa state, India Photograph: Gethin Chamberlain

A mother and daughter from the Dongria Kondh tribe in the village of Devapada on the slopes of Niyamgiri mountain. They have just returned from collecting produce from the jungle which covers the slopes of the mountain Photograph: Gethin Chamberlain

A member of the Dongria Kondh tribe and her child in the village of Patalamba in the foothills of Niyamgiri mountain in Orissa state, India Photograph: Gethin Chamberlain

A communal building in Pengsur village near Niyamgiri mountain. The building has been painted with the logo of the Vedanta mining company, as have many others in the area as the company tries to win over opponents of its plans to mine the mountain. Work has begun on the road in the foreground Photograph: Gethin Chamberlain

A member of the Kutia Kondh tribe breaks stones in the village of Dangadahal in the foothills of Niyamgiri mountain. She and the others have had to resort to digging stone out of the ground for use in roadbuilding to earn some money to buy food Photograph: Gethin Chamberlain

A conveyor belt runs up to Niyamgiri mountain from Vedanta's Lanjigarh alumina refinery Photograph: Gethin Chamberlain

Ash from the Vedanta company's Lanjigarh alumina refinery piles up at the foot of Niyamgiri mountain Photograph: Gethin Chamberlain

Basanti Majhi, 12, a member of the Kutia Kondh tribe in the village of Rengopali in the foothills of Niyamgiri mountain. She is suffering from tuberculosis. At least a dozen people in the village have died from the disease since the Vedanta company opened an alumina refinery in nearby Lanjigarh. Villagers believe that ash carried in the air from the refinery is making them ill Photograph: Gethin Chamberlain

Young tribal protesters at a demonstration against plans to start mining on Niyamgiri mountain Photograph: Gethin Chamberlain

Police try to keep control of tribe members protesting against plans to mine bauxite from Niyamgiri mountain Photograph: Gethin Chamberlain

Police reinforcements arrive at a demonstration against plans to start mining on Niyamgiri mountain Photograph: Gethin Chamberlain

A sign points to the Vedanta company's Lanjigarh alumina refinery at the foot of Niyamgiri mountain Photograph: Gethin Chamberlain

Members of the Kutia Kondh tribe in the village of Rengopali in the foothills of Niyamgiri mountain. Some families were compensated when they lost land to the company for the red mud pond it built a couple of hundred yards from the village. The company also provided an electricity supply to the village for the first time. Shortly afterwards, salesmen arrived and convinced them to buy satellite televisions. But now they cannot afford the electricity to run them Photograph: Gethin Chamberlain

A vehicle belonging to the Vedanta company drives through a village at the foot of Niyamgiri mountain Photograph: Gethin Chamberlain

Members of the Kutia Kondh tribe from the village of Dangadahal Photograph: Gethin Chamberlain

Raja Maghi, 28, and his wife Bari Maghi, 22, members of the Kutia Kondh tribe, and their 18-month-old son Laki in the village of Dangadahal in the foothills of Niyamgiri mountain in Orissa state, India. He and the others have had to resort to digging stone out of the ground for use in roadbuilding to earn some money to buy food Photograph: Gethin Chamberlain

Raja Maghi, his wife Bari Maghi, and son Laki Photograph: Gethin Chamberlain

Another member of the Kutia Kondh tribe from the village of Dangadahal struggles to make a living Photograph: Gethin Chamberlain

A worker leaves the Vedanta company's Lanjigarh alumina refinery at the foot of Niyamgiri mountain Photograph: Gethin Chamberlain