India has recently been a hotspot for protests fueled by concerns over environmental degradation following mining activities. In Chhattisgarh, a populous northern Indian state, such demonstrations have increased significantly. Recently, organizations around the region conducted a massive rally in Hariharpur village, where they vehemently voiced their opposition to the Parsa coal mine expansion effort, as it threatens to lead to the large-scale deforestation of the Hasdeo forests, colloquially referred to as the lungs of Chhattisgarh. The Indian Express reported on this pivotal event.
Originally, the Parsa (East) and Kanta Basan (PEKB) coal mine was assigned to Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Nigam Limited (RRVUNL) by the Ministry of Coal. Interestingly, they offered mine developer and operator (MDO) status to the Adani group. The Indian Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change granted RRVUNL an extension of the coal mine in 2022, which involved assigning around 91 hectares of land to the company despite the persisting protests. Authority figures temporarily halted their deforesting activities in 2022 to control the escalating situation following the protests but resumed the extension project in 2023. This was reported by The Hindustan Times.
The result has been a tense faceoff between authorities and locals, with accusations of intimidation and illegal arrests of those who have sought to obstruct the extension project. Rakesh Tikait, a farmer leader and spokesperson for the Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU), accused the government of being anti-environment, as evident in his statement on X (formerly Twitter). Additionally, Alok Shukla, the convenor of Chhattisgarh Bachao Andolan (Save Chhattisgarh Movement), posted a video on X which allegedly showed Chhattisgarh police attempting to prevent protesters from reaching the protest site. Worth noting, Article 19 of the Constitution of India preserves the right to peaceful protest.
Apart from alleged unjust arrests and intimidation, the looming ecological impact due to mining is a significant concern. In 2010, the government declared Hasdeo forests, spread across 1,878 square km in North-Central Chhattisgarh and situated in the global rich coal area, a “no-go” zone for mining, a fact reported by The Economic Times. But, in a surprising U-turn, they allocated clearance for a coal block in the same area a year later.
Opposition from locals, activists, and now, international observers, may prove pivotal in the fight to conserve the Hasdeo forests, a critical lung to the Indian ecosystem. The Indian legal system, activists, and locals hope the country’s environmental policies, as outlined in the National Forest Policy, 1988, which aims to preserve and restore ecological stability, will be adhered to more strictly to prevent further damage to the vulnerable area.