Raipur: Hasdev Aranya Forest rich in biodiversity Chattisgarh – Where hundreds of tribals are protesting against tree cutting coal mining –Can be conserved while still meeting India’s coal demands, forest rights worker Alok Shukla Has claimed. In an interview with PTI, Shukla, who received the Goldman Environment Prize, also known as the “Green Nobel” this year, said the claims that coal mining leads to development and rehabilitation improves people’s lives , is “misleading”.
He said that when communities protest, it is often because corporations have broken their promises and taken away the rights and livelihoods of indigenous people.
“This has created massive distrust. No community wants to give their land to greedy corporations, and the government should understand this,” said Shukla, who is leading Chhattisgarh Bachao Andolan, a community campaign to save the antiquity. Are. Hasdev Forest Since 2012, said.
According to central government data, India’s coal demand is expected to reach 1.3 to 1.5 billion tons by 2030, and current coal production has already reached nearly one billion tons.
Chhattisgarh has 55 billion tonnes of coal reserves, of which 5,180 million tonnes are in Hasdev.
Shukla said, “The government has already allocated mining projects to meet future needs… 5,000 million tonnes can come from somewhere else. Protecting the region while meeting India’s coal demands. It is possible.”
The government’s insistence on continuing mining operations at Hasdeo, despite the availability of other coal blocks, appears to be “motivated by a desire to benefit some corporations”, he claimed.
Hasdeo Aranya Forest, spread over 1,701 square kilometres, is also one of the largest contiguous forest areas in India, home to 25 endangered species, 92 bird species and 167 rare and medicinal plant species.
About 15,000 tribal people depend on these forests for their livelihood and cultural identity and their gram sabhas have consistently opposed coal mining projects.
There are 23 coal blocks in the region, of which three – Parsa, Parsa East Kente Basan (PEKB), and Kente Extension Coal Block (KECB) – have been allocated to Rajasthan State Power Generation Corporation Limited and operated by the Adani Group.
The PEKB coal block covers 1,898 hectares of forest in Surguja district. Mining has been completed in Phase 1 in an area of 762 hectares. Phase 2, covering the remaining 1,136 hectares, is underway.
“So far, around 45,000 to 50,000 trees have been cut in 208 hectares during Phase 2, and a total of 2.5 lakh trees will be cut in 1,100 hectares,” Shukla said.
He said that local people are opposing mining in Parsa coal block of Surajpur and Surguja districts.
“No trees have been cut yet, but efforts are on to start operations. A bigger issue is that the gram sabhas of the three villages that were displaced due to Parsa mining – Hariharpur, Salhi and Fatehpur – never received their land. Given and fair consent,” he said.
“The investigation by the State Scheduled Tribe Commission found that approval for this project was obtained through fake recommendations under duress. The investigation report is expected soon,” he said.
The third block, Kente Extension, covers 1,725 hectares, of which 99 percent is forest cover. Public hearing has been held for environmental clearance, but forest clearance is still pending.
“We are demanding that no more mines should be allowed in Hasdev apart from the ones already operating. On July 26, 2022, Chhattisgarh Assembly passed a resolution banning new coal mines in Hasdev. State Government Also submitted an affidavit in the Supreme Court. Shukla said, “Rajasthan’s coal requirement (21 million tonnes) is being met by the PEKB mine.”
The Wildlife Institute of India has warned that mining in Hasdeo will pose a serious threat to the Bango Dam (built in 1961–62 on the Hasdeo River) and worsen human-elephant conflict. In fact, man-animal conflict has taken the lives of more than 200 people in Chhattisgarh in the last five years – second only to deaths due to Naxalism, he said.
On the issue of Gram Sabha consent, Shukla said the consent should be taken in a transparent manner and the community should be reassured. “If they agree, there will be no conflict.”
“The law requires the consent of the Gram Sabha for projects like coal mining… Gram Sabhas are saying that the ecologically fragile Hasdeo area should be spared, their decisions should be respected. If you don’t respect them… If we can, we will change the Constitution and abolish the Gram Sabha.” System. If that happens, we will stop fighting,” said the environmental activist.
Shukla said the claim that mining will lead to development is misleading.
“Iron ore has been mined in Dantewada for five decades, but the tribals there still lack basic education and health care. They are forced to drink water polluted by iron ore mining,” he said.
Shukla said the government claims that rehabilitation will improve people’s lives, but they cannot give a single example to prove it.
He said, “If uranium was found in Delhi, would you displace people and start mining? When tribals demand education and healthcare, they are asked to leave their forests.”
