India, June 1 -- The Odisha government has cleared the construction of a 3.4-km access road to the proposed Sijimali bauxite mines in Rayagada district of Odisha after the Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change (MoEFCC) granted Stage-II, or final, forest clearance for diversion of forest land linked to the project.

The approval marks a significant step towards operationalising the Vedanta-linked mining project, even as it remains embroiled in legal challenges and local opposition from tribal communities.

The road, regarded as the first major physical infrastructure required for the mine, has been at the centre of a prolonged conflict between the state administration and local tribal residents. Tensions culminated in vi...