Niyamgiri Hill Range | |
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Highest point | |
Peak | Central Hill |
Elevation | 1,509 m (4,951 ft) |
Geography | |
Country | India |
State | Odisha |
Districts | Kalahandi and Rayagada |
Borders on | Bissam Katak, Muniguda, Lanjigarh, Kalyansinghpur |
The Niyamgiri is a hill range situated in the districts of Kalahandi and Rayagada in the south-west of Odisha, India. These hills are home to Dongria Kondh indigenous people. The hills have one of India's most pristine forests in the interior. It is bound by Karlapat Wildlife Sanctuary on the north-west side and Kotgarh Wildlife Sanctuary on the north-east end.
The Environment and Forest ministry of Government of India scrapped a forest clearance given to a mining firm, Vedanta Resources, to mine bauxite in the area and the mining project was scrapped. In 2013, the Supreme Court of India asked the tribal people to take the decision, in which BMP was rejected in all village council meetings.
Coordinates: 19°35′N 83°24′E / 19.583°N 83.400°E