Activist Alok Shukla Calls for Protection of Hasdeo Aranya Forests

GG News Bureau
Raipur, 7th Oct. Alok Shukla, a prominent forest rights activist and recipient of the Goldman Environmental Prize, asserts that the biodiverse Hasdeo Aranya forests in Chhattisgarh can be preserved while still meeting India’s increasing coal demands. This statement comes in the wake of ongoing protests by hundreds of tribal communities against tree felling for coal mining in the region.

In an interview with PTI, Shukla criticized the narrative that coal mining leads to development, calling such claims “misleading.” He emphasized that the protests stem from communities’ frustrations over broken promises and the erosion of their rights and livelihoods. “No community wants to give up its land to greedy corporations, and the government must understand this,” he stated.

As per central government data, India’s coal demand is projected to reach between 1.3 to 1.5 billion tonnes by 2030, with current production hitting around one billion tonnes. Chhattisgarh houses 55 billion tonnes of coal reserves, with 5,180 million tonnes located in the Hasdeo region. Shukla believes the government can allocate coal from alternative sites to protect the Hasdeo forests, rather than favoring certain corporations by insisting on mining in the area.

The Hasdeo Aranya forests, spanning 1,701 square kilometers, are home to 25 endangered species, 92 bird species, and 167 rare medicinal plant species. Around 15,000 tribal people depend on these forests for their livelihoods and cultural identity. Local Gram Sabhas have consistently opposed coal mining projects in the area.

Three coal blocks have been allocated to the Adani Group, which has already begun operations, cutting down thousands of trees. Shukla highlighted concerns regarding the Parsa coal block, where locals are protesting against mining due to a lack of free and fair consent from the affected villages. He noted that a State Scheduled Tribes Commission investigation found that clearances for the project were obtained under duress.

Shukla insists that the government must respect Gram Sabha decisions and the law requiring their consent for mining projects. He cautioned that continued mining could threaten the Bango Dam and escalate human-animal conflicts, which have already claimed over 200 lives in the past five years.

Shukla concluded by challenging the government’s claims that mining brings development, citing the lack of progress in tribal areas like Dantewada, which has been mined for iron ore for decades yet still suffers from inadequate healthcare and education. “If uranium was found in Delhi, would you displace the people to start mining?” he questioned, urging the government to prioritize the needs of the tribal communities.

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