Chhattisgarh Forest and Climate Change Minister Kedar Kashyap defended coal mining and other development projects in the state, saying they were necessary to improve the living standards of the people. In an interview to PTI, Kashyap said, ‘How long will the people of this resource-rich region remain poor? Development and energy are equally important.
During the conversation, Kashyap further said, ‘People need employment. Yes, if trees are cut, it is our responsibility to compensate for that loss. We must also ensure that the health and livelihoods of affected communities are protected.
On the issue of Gram Sabha consent for such projects, Kashyap said, ‘The law gives Gram Sabhas the power to say ‘no’. In some cases, he has used that power, but in most cases he has supported (coal mining and other projects).’
Asked about opposition to felling of trees for a coal project in the biodiversity-rich Hasdeo Aranya forest, the minister acknowledged that some people have opposed felling of forests for coal and other development projects, but stressed that Most of them have supported them.
The country’s third largest coal reserve
Let us tell you that Chhattisgarh has 57 billion tonnes of coal reserves, which makes it the third largest coal producing state of India after Jharkhand and Odisha. It ranks third among the states with the largest forest area after Madhya Pradesh and Arunachal Pradesh, with more than 44 percent of its total geographical area covered by forests.
There are three coal blocks in Hasdev Aranya.
Hasdeo Aranya Coal Field, located in Surguja district of Chhattisgarh, consists of three coal blocks… 1st Parsa, 2nd Parsa East Kente Basan (PEKB) and 3rd Kente Extension Coal Block (KECB). All three coal blocks have been allotted to Rajasthan State Power Generation Corporation Limited.
Spread over 1,701 square kilometres, the Hasdeo Aranya Forest is one of the most extensive dense forest areas in India. It is home to 25 endangered species, 92 bird species and 167 rare and medicinal plant species. About 15,000 tribals depend on the Hasdeo Aranya forests for their livelihood, cultural identity and livelihood.
Hasdev has 5 thousand million tonnes of coal reserves
Hasdev Aranya Forest is spread over 1,70,000 hectares and this area is bigger than the country’s capital Delhi. According to the Indian Bureau of Mines, this forest has 5,179.35 million tonnes of coal reserves. In January, the National Green Tribunal took suo motu cognizance of protests against felling of trees for the second phase of the PEKB coal mining project and sought a report from the state forest department.
The department, in its reply, said that the felling of trees is being done in strict compliance with the approvals and permissions given by the central and state government authorities. It also said that the PEKB coal block covers 1,898 hectares of forest land. Phase 1 mining, covering 762 hectares, has been completed, and Phase 2 is underway on the remaining 1,136 hectares.
Out of 3 lakh trees in Hasdev, 94 thousand trees were cut.
Felling of trees for Phase 2 resumed in late August amid protests from local villagers. In July, Union Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav informed Parliament that 94,460 trees had already been cut for coal mining in the Hasdeo Aranya forest, and more than 2.73 lakh trees were to be cut in the coming years. A total of 53,40,586 trees have been planted as compensation for mine reclamation and relocation, out of which 40,93,395 trees have survived, he said.
