# Joda

Joda Town is a town and municipality in Keonjhar district, popularly known as Joda Municipality Town in Joda Block, located near Barbil City or Barbil Tahsil which is only 14 km away from. Joda Town is surrounded by the well-known Mahendragiri Parvat Shrunkhala- an ancient series of hills described in history of Bharata Varsha and in the epic Ramayana and Mahabharata, which are spread in from Keonjhar to Sundargarh, Koraput, Kandhamal, Rayagada and Visakhapatnam.
Integration of anciently known ‘Joda Village’, ‘Baneikala Village’ and ‘Banspani Village’ is now-a-days so called Joda Municipality Town is strategically created as like a mining camp/base like the temporary military base/camps. Here people used to come or bring by the industries from various places of the country for mining activities/processes only. It can be said the Town is just act like the labour supplier camp to the Mines. The name ‘Joda’ is derived from a small tribal village ‘Joda Village’ which is now known as ‘Joda Basti’ is now located near Bus Stop square. In the past ‘Joda Village’ was one of the beautiful natural areas surrounded by waterfalls and man-mohak deep forests like the heaven on earth. But now-a-days, so called ‘Joda Town’ is a forest destroyed mining camp of labours, started by TATA Group with the help of Britishers. They destroying the beauty of earth by destroying the hills one by one. In past years, only TATA Group was engaged here for earth mining, but now-a-days, multiple red eye industries settled their camps here and started mining in nearby areas. And, central government's Indian Railways, which is totally based on Britishers Ideas and now also running like the past loot process, interested for vast extraction of Iron Ores to enhance the destruction/mining process.
A movie Disney+ Hotstar’s Aar Ya Paar (TV series) is a well described movie on this, based on how the industries are used to grow their money at the cost of destruction of nature in the name of fake development, which indicates the danger situations for entire Human Being Society in future. Once upon a time, the innocent tribals were known as the ‘GUARDIANS OF THE EARTH’ as they protect the beautiful Jewells of earth the forests without any demand/needs as living for Each-Other. The movie cleverly shows the comparison between simplicity and modernity.
Joda Municipality Town or Joda Town have a railway station Banspani in its 13-no. ward in Banshapani village. Banspani is the smallest station in the world, just carved out from BSPX Railway Siding with a small retaining wall and having only 1-platform of 280meter length, suitable to cater only 8-LHB coaches. This station is undeveloped because of negligence of Municipal authorities. There is no any direct approach road from Joda Municipality Town to this station, so people hesitate to go there which is the major reason of trains are running through Banspani signs low patronage and Indian Railways hesitates to run any new trains to or through this Town. This also cause that Banspani Station is rejected and Jaroli railway station of Jurudi Gram Panchayat is selected for Amrit Bharat Station development scheme. A second entrance proposed near the pond (Town side location and North-West side from the current station building) but the Indian Railways is hesitating to acquire land from the industries working there. If the new station building will be created, then the people can approach there by a direct proper road from the Town (a direct road from town's Joda CHC to that town side new planned entrance building near the pond). Also an integrated bus terminal project at opposite of Joda CHC will help to establish a proper communication system of the Town, so everyone can easily reach there.
Also a new station is proposed at near JBCN in the name of Joda-Nagar.

## History

Before the industrialization/mining, ‘Joda’ was a beautiful tribal village surrounded by the beautiful hills contained the unmatched valuable jewels in form of minerals, waterfalls, and medicinal trees in forests. In that time, multiple tribal villages were there in that area, names are like ‘Joda Village’, ‘Baneikala Village’, ‘Banshapani Village’, Jurudi Village’, ‘Koida Village’ and more. They lived a rich life without any needs till the TATA Group destroyed them.
In 1904, an insider monster a Bangali geologist P.N. Bose who graduated in Mining from Cambridge University of London identified the first iron mines of India as Gorumahisani Mines is now in near Pahadpur Village (President Droupadi Murmu’s resident and birthplace) in Mayurbhanj district of Odisha. He wrote a letter to J.N. Tata, relative of Muhammad Ali Jinnah (founder of Pakistan), after examining a rock of Gorumahisani area in London. Then they proposed to that times Mayurbhanj King Sriram Chandra Bhanjdeo and signed agreement and started mining for 40years. But the promised about on development of that area just was a joke performed by TATA Group is clearly visible, now also. This occurs a disruption and locals (innocent tribals) opposed and closed the operation there.
Then the TATA Group searched the other sites in Odisha with the help of P.N. Bose and find another site which is now known as Joda East Iron Mine and took as lease for more than 100years from that times Keonjhar King Bhanjdeo family and started mining in the name of development. But following the past, here also nothing development is witnessed. Due to this, the farming process and the forests are destroyed in this region and innocent tribals had no other ways to live and they forced to work in these mines as labours. A beautiful and rich Keonjhar is vanished for whom is now-a-days known as a great man by our Great Indians.
The locals also alleged that in 2021, the mining firm(tata) never include them even in official meetings for their mines expansion projects to hide their irregularities and fake promises. Also, they never employed by the company which was a major promise when they started acquiring the forest lands of innocent tribals/locals.
But this is the thing played only in front stage of Indian history to loot the minerals. In background, the Britishers played a well strategical game with the help of the country France. They well used the international linked business man J.N. Tata, J.R.D. Tata (close relatives of Muhammad Ali Jinnah) and others to establish a British Oriented Indigenous Steel Industry: - TATA Group. A well background game routed and today also the game is going on. They now bought Air India again and deal with France for 500 new aeroplanes recently, is not a just co-incidence. It is a well-planned mining link game of them, settled in past for the future.
In the background, story started during middle last era of British India Company headquartered in Kolkata, the looters British Empire started the industrialization in all their captured or owned places and that time the need/demand of steels goes up. To fulfil the steel demand, they start searching the reserved iron ore sites. In that time one more Parsi (who born in Paris of France) looter and so-called businessman J.R.D. Tata offered the Britishers to help them to identify the sites and invade the locals to extract iron-ores. But that offer was placed by TATA in the cost of get the permission to start his mining firm to grow his business. He finds the places as ‘Joda’ and nearby areas by examined the rocks from there and forcefully started the mining process there by invading the innocent tribals with the help of Britishers. TATA Group engaged from that time in extraction process which was fully funded by the Britishers which can be proved as the narrow-gauge railway line constructed there in that time in deep jungle to fast transportation of ores to the sea ports. This process is now also going on but just now TATA Group is doing self-reliantly. That time's the old narrow-gauge railway line path today also can be clearly identifiable/visible.
The king of that time of that area, the Kendujhar King ‘Bhanja Deo’ was also responsible for the process of invasion of the innocent tribals for start the mining process. These mining processes are stealing the richness of Kendujhar.

## Geography

Joda Municipality Town / Joda Town is located in North in Odisha state and in Central East in India. The co-ordinates of this area are: 22°01′00″N 85°26′00″E﻿ / ﻿22.01667°N 85.43333°E﻿ / 22.01667; 85.43333. This area and the nearby all areas are surrounded by hills and all resident areas are in the hilly terrains. This area is well connected by latest built 4laned NH-520 to its state capital and nearby major areas like Rourkela, Kolkata etc.

## Joda Mining Sector

www.odishaminerals.gov.in/RTT/JODA/Jodamap

## Formation of Joda Municipality

Joda Area was a panchayat area as called JODA BLOCK. Then declared as NAC area with residents around 30,000 people. And after 2001 population count, a marginal population growth identified here and state govt declared this area as an Urban Area as Joda Municipality Town. There are 100000 to 120000 people lives here and out of them 70% are the outsiders came here only for job or business.
The Joda Municipality Town formed with 14 Wards;
* Ward No. 1 – Sashtrinagar (Known for Swarga Dwara), PWD IB, Mining Colony, Baneikala Tisco Colony(part), Tarini hating & Hirakud Colony
* Ward No. 2 – Am Bagan, BD Patnaik Colony, Mukharji hating, DR Patnaik Colony, Block Colony, Patra sahi, MMTC Colony, Central Hospital Area
* Ward No. 3 – DB Singh Colony, Hudisahi, Kundurnala(part)
* Ward No. 4 – Kundurnala(part), Market Area, Muslim Basti, Jhumpudi hating, Jahira hating, Bharat Petrol Pump Area.
* Ward No. 5 – Azadbasti, Laxmi Padia Area
* Ward No. 6 – Bachu hating, Ramjan hating, Contractor Colony, Bhoot Bunglow, Joda east tisco mining camp
* Ward No. 7 – FAP Colony, Uli hating, Sahid Nagar, Dipu hating, Super Market Area
* Ward No. 8 – OPTCL Grid to Bus-stop Petrol Pump, Badal Singh hating, Joda Basti (Joda Village: - Joda Town origin), Madras Colony, Nalua Mohanty Sahi, RI Office Area
* Ward No. 9 – Joda west tisco mining camp(part), Kumar sahi, BSNL Telephone Exchange Office Area, Sawmill area to godown area
* Ward No. 10 – Shri Hanuman Colony, Damanipada, Chemri camp, Joda west tisco mining camp(part)
* Ward No.11 – Apat sahi, Murcza sahi, Sirish hating, Kedarsahi
* Ward No. 12 – Banspani Railway Colony Area
* Ward No. 13 – Banshapani Village, Khuntpani Village, Sargitalia Baitarani River Area
* Ward No. 14 – Bichakundi (tisco captured undeveloped tribal village for manganese mining).

## Critical Climate Change Concern

Due to 24*7 vast extraction, the environment of this area as well as neighbour areas are fully destroyed. And for the mining expansion projects, forests are regularly reducing day by day.
Due to reduction of jungle areas, the sequence of the season is globally affected. The west countries are also heated up due to these activities. Hills are also vanishing which cause the earth unbalance. Unbalanced movement of the earth is a serious concern for the future living in earth. Now-a-days in India, Rainy Season period is dramatically changed, which for a major drought situation can be imagined in future, not only in India but also the other countries will also affect because the India is a land of farming and a key supplier of food chain. Winter Season is almost disappeared in some region and its time period became shorter compare to normal season sequence. These activities are clearly warning about a critical future and indicates for growth of Global Warming in full swing. The human existence in earth is in danger.

## District Mineral Fund

To develop the mining affected areas, the central government planned to create a fund by collecting from the industries which are working there, called District Mineral Fund or DMF. This is a well-planned strategy to develop the affected areas, reserve the forests and protection of animals. But the India known for the corruptions and scams, following this the 80% fund used to bypass mysteriously. Nothing development is noticed from its beginning except few road and water projects which are also not reliable due to corrupt systems.

## Few Big Projects under DMF

* Barbil – Barajamda SH-28 4lane Road
* Flyover in Joda Town for ease transportation of Iron-ore
* Joda Town – Bamebari Concrete Road
* Keonjhar Medical College & Hospital

## Disappearing Tourist Places

* Murga Mahadev Temple
* Beautiful serene forests, waterfalls etc.