Felling of bushes for Parsa coal mining challenge in Chhattisgarh begins; villagers protest 

By PTI

AMBIKAPUR: The Chhattisgarh forest division on Tuesday launched a tree reducing train to pave the best way for begin of the Parsa coal mining challenge within the Surguja division, triggering robust opposition from native villagers who compelled the authorities to halt their motion after 300 bushes have been axed.

The transfer got here days after the Chhattisgarh authorities granted the ultimate approval for non-forestry use of forest land within the Parsa coal mining challenge space.

According to villagers, they learnt concerning the deforestation train early within the morning and rushed to the spot to register their objection.

On April 6, the state authorities had given the ultimate approval for non-forestry use of 841.

538 hectares of forest land for the Parsa coal mine unfold throughout Surguja and Surajpur districts in northern a part of the state.

The mine has been allotted to Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Ltd (RRVUNL).

“As many as 300 trees were felled in Janardanpur village (Surajpur district) under the Ramanujnagar forest range for the Parsa coal mine project. After the objection by local villagers, the work was stopped,” a neighborhood forest official mentioned.

“Around 1,590 trees are to be cut in this area for the project. Further action in this direction will be taken after getting directives from senior officials,” he added. 

On getting details about the deforestation work in Janardanpur which is near Salhi village (Surguja district), residents of project-affected villages reached there, mentioned Ramlal Kariyam, a resident of Salhi.

Over 50 police personnel have been deployed to facilitate the deforestation work, he added.

“The residents of Salhi, Fatehpur and Hariharpur villages have been protesting against the project for a long time. We have even demanded a probe into forged gram sabha documents based on which clearances have been given for the project,” he mentioned.

“This forest is part of the biodiversity-rich and ecologically sensitive Hasdeo Arand region. Mining in this area will not only result in displacement of local tribals but also cause destruction to the environment. We will not allow this area to get destroyed,” mentioned Kariyam, who’s related to the Hasdeo Arand Bachao Sangharsh Samiti, an outfit spearheading the agitation in opposition to tree reducing and elevating different environmental points.

Convener of the Chhattisgarh Bachao Andolan (CBA), Alok Shukla, termed the forest division’s transfer as “very sad” and claimed that to increase profit to corporates, constitutional rights of tribals are being crushed.

The CBA has been combating for rights of tribals and setting conservation.

“It is very sad that the process for the project is being carried forward by crushing the constitutional rights of tribals and ignoring their welfare. The state government did not even consider it appropriate to investigate the fake Gram Sabha proposals and under corporate pressure, the felling of trees started at midnight,” Shukla claimed.