Felling of trees for the Parsa East and Kete Basen (PEKB) phase-II coal mine in the biodiversity-rich Hasdeo Arand area of Chhattisgarh’s Surguja district resumed on Friday amid protests by local villagers.
A large number of policemen have been deployed in the area to maintain law and order.
Local villagers and environmental activists alleged that the police had detained over 100 villagers protesting against coal mining in the Hasdeo area.
However, the police denied the allegation. The PEKB mine is allotted to Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Limited (RRVUNL).
3700 trees have been cut so far
A statement issued by the state forest department said that on Friday, felling of trees began in 32 hectares of the proposed 74.130 hectares of forest land (for PEKB phase-II mine) in Udaypur development block.
So far 3,694 trees have been cut. The cutting of the remaining trees is in progress.
The statement said that since the area is sensitive, a joint team of district police force, district administration and forest officials has been formed to carry out the felling of trees peacefully.
It said that some residents of villages near the mine area were creating hindrances in the work. They have been persuaded not to create any disturbance in the process.
The first phase of mining in 762 hectares of land in the PEKB block, allotted to RVUNL in 2007, was started in 2013 after final approval by the Union Ministry of Forest and Climate Change in 2012 and mining there has been completed.
Permission given to cut 11 thousand trees
A statement issued by the state forest department on Friday said the central ministry has permitted 1,136 hectares of forest land for PEKKB Phase-II mine (Sarguja) in 2022.
RVUNL has been granted permission to fell 10,944 trees standing in an area of 74.130 hectares of forest land in the 10th year of the project by the Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Production) Chhattisgarh on August 21 this year and on the next day i.e. August 22 by the Chief Conservator of Forests, Surguja Forest Circle.
It said permission for felling and transportation of a total of 10,944 trees in an area of 74.130 hectares of forest land was given to the Forest Range Officer, Udaipur (Production).
Local villagers, under the banner of Hasdeo Arand Bachao Sangharsh Samiti, have been protesting against the allocation of mines for many years.
The forest department had earlier also tried to start felling of trees to clear the way for the opening of PEKB Phase II coal mine but stiff opposition from local villagers forced the authorities to stop their action.
Alok Shukla, convener of the Chhattisgarh Bachao Andolan (CBA), who has been at the forefront of the protest against the allocation of these coal mines, on Friday said it was very unfortunate that once again the state government had started felling trees for PEKB phase two.
Earlier too there were attempts to cut down the trees. The local Gram Sabhas have not given their consent for coal mining in the area.
The government had passed the proposal
Shukla said that the Chhattisgarh assembly had unanimously passed a resolution in 2022 (during the previous Congress government) that mining activities would not be carried out in the Hasdeo area. Instead of respecting that resolution, the newly elected BJP government started felling trees by deploying heavy security forces.
He also claimed that the protesting villagers were detained by the police.
We strongly condemn this action and demand an immediate halt to deforestation, Shukla said. He claimed the state government was snatching away the rights of tribal communities to benefit corporates.
Surguja Superintendent of Police Yogesh Patel denied claims of villagers being detained and said the police had shifted them to other places as a precautionary measure as tree felling work was underway.
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