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 from local villagers. A large number of police personnel have been deployed in the area to maintain law and order.
Local villagers and environmental activists alleged that the police had detained more than 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, tree felling began in 32 hectares of the proposed 74.130 hectares of forest land (for PEKB phase-II mine) in Udaipur development block. So far, 3,694 trees have been felled. The felling of the remaining trees is ongoing.
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 ensure peaceful felling of trees. It said that some residents of villages near the quarry area were obstructing 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 that the central ministry has permitted 1,136 hectares of forest land for PEKKB phase-II mine (Surguja) in 2022. RVUNL has been permitted to fell 10,944 trees standing in an area of 74.130 hectares of forest land in the 10th year of the project by Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Production) Chhattisgarh on August 21 this year and the next day on August 22 by Chief Conservator of Forests, Surguja Forest Circle. It said that permission for felling and transportation of a total of 10,944 trees in an area of 74.130 hectares of forest land was granted to the Forest Range Officer, Udaipur (Production).
Local villagers have been protesting against the allocation of mines for many years under the banner of Hasdeo Arand Bachao Sangharsh Samiti. The forest department had earlier also tried to start felling trees to clear the way for the start of PEKB phase two coal mine, but the officials had to stop their action due to strong opposition from local villagers.
Alok Shukla, convener of the Chhattisgarh Bachao Andolan (CBA), which has been at the forefront of protests against the allocation of these coal mines, said on Friday that it is very unfortunate that once again the state government has started felling trees for PEKB phase two. Earlier too, attempts were made to cut trees. The local gram sabhas have not given their consent for a coal mine 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 that 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.
