Tree felling for Parsa East and Kanta Basan (PEKB) extension coal mines in Hasdeo forest region in Surguja district in Chhattisgarh began on Thursday amidst massive security cover by police, with the environment conservation associations and forest rights activists alleging that the tribal protestors and campaigners were picked up by the police to prevent them from staging demonstration.
The PEKB coal mine has been allotted to Rajasthan state power generation corporation limited by ministry of coal. The minister of environment, forest and climate change has granted the power company for extension on the mining site for excavation of coal in the last phase. From the 134.760 hectare land of forest allotted for the coal mine, about 91.130 hectare land has to be handed over to the Rajasthan company for mining.
Hence, the forest department and Surguja district administration jointly decided to begin the exercise of tree felling for extension of the coal mine. With previous experiences of protests and heavy demonstration, the mining related process was withheld in June last year for three mining projects in Hasdeo Arand by the previous Congress government. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had also expressed his displeasure over the expansion of coal mining operations in Chhattisgarh.
In reaction to the latest development and allegations that locals were being threatened by police and administration to refrain from any kind of demonstration, farmer activist Rakesh Tikait has released a video condemning the move stating that many farmer labourers were arrested while the local tribals have been fighting to save their jal, jungle, jameen.
“Is this the first work of tribal chief minister to act against protesting farmers and labourers? Our fight to save Hasdeo forest will continue and we will go inside forest and carry a massive protest. The governments want to favour industrialists like Adani and Ambani,” Tikait said.
Leader of opposition Charandas Mahant in the state assembly said that permission for tree felling in Hasdeo has been granted and over 30,000 trees have already been cut while 2.5 lakh more will be felled in coming days. “Is it true that the tribal people have been arrested today and permission for mining on 14 hectare forest land has been granted? The government has just formed and you haven’t yet given anything to the poor but began giving to Adani. Don’t give poor’s jal, jungle, jameen to Adani,” Mahant said.