Can protect Hasdeo while still meeting India’s coal demands: Forest rights activist Alok Shukla

Raipur: The biodiversity-rich Hasdeo Aranya forests in Chhattisgarh -- where hundreds of tribals are protesting against tree felling for coal mining -- can be protected while still meeting India's coal demands, forest rights activist Alok Shukla has asserted.

In an interview with PTI, Shukla, who received the Goldman Environmental Prize, also known as the ''Green Nobel'', this year, said claims that coal mining brings development, and rehabilitation improves people's lives are "misleading".

He said when communities protest, it’s often because corporations have broken their promises and taken away indigenous people’s rights and livelihoods.

"This has created massive distrust. No community wants to give up its land to greedy corporations, and the government must understand this," Shukla, who has been leading the Chhattisgarh Bachao Andolan, a community campaign to save the pristine Hasdeo forests since 2012, said.

According to central government data, India’s coal demand is expected to reach between 1.3 to 1.5 billion tonnes by 2030, and current coal production has already hit around one billion tonnes.

Chhattisgarh holds 55 billion tonnes of coal reserves, of which 5,180 million tonnes are in Hasdeo.

"The government has already allocated mining projects to meet future needs... 5,000 million tonnes can come from any other place. It is possible to protect this region while still meeting India’s coal demands," Shukla said.

The government's insistence on continuing mining operations in Hasdeo, despite the availability of other coal blocks, appears to be "driven by a desire to favour certain corporations", he claimed.

The Hasdeo Aranya forests -- spanning 1,701 square kilometers -- are also one of India’s largest contiguous forest tracts, home to 25 endangered species, 92 bird species, and 167 rare and medicinal plant species.

Around 15,000 tribal people rely on these forests for their livelihood and cultural identity, and their Gram Sabhas have consistently opposed the coal mining projects.

The region has 23 coal blocks, of which three -- Parsa, Parsa East Kente Basan (PEKB), and Kente Extension Coal Block (KECB) -- are allocated to Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Ltd and operated by the Adani Group.

The PEKB coal block covers 1,898 hectares of forest in Surguja district. Mining in Phase 1, covering 762 hectares, has been completed. Phase 2, which involves the remaining 1,136 hectares, is ongoing.

"So far, about 45,000 to 50,000 trees have been cut down in 208 hectares during Phase 2, and a total of 2.5 lakh trees will be felled across 1,100 hectares," Shukla said.

He said that in the Parsa coal block in Surajpur and Sarguja districts, locals have been protesting against the mining.

"No trees have been cut yet, but efforts to begin operations are underway. A major issue is that the Gram Sabhas of three villages -- Hariharpur, Salhi and Fatehpur -- that will be displaced due to the Parsa mining never gave their free and fair consent," he said.

"An investigation by the State Scheduled Tribes Commission found that the clearances for this project were obtained through fraudulent recommendations, under pressure. The inquiry report is expected soon," he said.

The third block, Kente Extension, spans 1,725 hectares, of which 99 per cent is forest area. A public hearing has been held for environmental clearance, but forest clearance is still pending.

"We have been demanding that no more mines should be allowed in Hasdeo beyond those already operating. On July 26, 2022, the Chhattisgarh Vidhan Sabha passed a resolution banning new coal mines in Hasdeo. The state government also submitted an affidavit to the Supreme Court stating that Rajasthan’s coal needs (21 million tonnes) are being met through the PEKB mine," Shukla said.

The Wildlife Institute of India has warned that mining in Hasdeo will pose a serious threat to the Bango Dam (constructed in 1961-62 on the Hasdeo river) and worsen human-elephant conflict. In fact, human-animal conflict has claimed more than 200 lives 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 consent should be taken transparently, and the community should be convinced. "If they agree, there will be no conflict." "The law requires Gram Sabha consent for projects like coal mining... Gram Sabhas are saying that the ecologically fragile Hasdeo region should be spared, their decisions should be respected. If you cannot respect them, then change the Constitution and dismantle the Gram Sabha system. If that happens, we will stop fighting," the environment activist said.

Shukla said the claim that mining will bring development is misleading.

"Dantewada has been mined for iron ore for five decades, but the tribals there still lack basic education and healthcare. They are forced to drink water polluted by iron ore mining," he said.

Shukla added that the government claims rehabilitation will improve people’s lives, but they cannot provide a single example to prove it.

"If uranium was found in Delhi, would you displace the people and start mining it? When tribals demand education and healthcare, they are told to leave their forests," he said.