Raipur13 minutes ago
- copy link
The issue of coal mining in Hasdeo forest, spread over Surguja, Surajpur and Korba districts of Chhattisgarh, has been raised at Cambridge University in London. The student, who reached there, questioned Rahul Gandhi about it. In response, Rahul Gandhi said, they are talking within the party on this issue. Soon the result will be visible.
Rahul Gandhi is in London for the last four days. He has come there to participate in the dialogue organized at Cambridge University. On Monday evening, he interacted with students at the “India@75” event organized at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge University. Most of these students were of Indian origin.
Why is mining allowed in spite of being a Congress government?
Students associated with XR Youth Cambridge asked Rahul that in 2015 you had told the tribals in Hasdeo Aranya area that they would stand with them to protect their rights and against coal mining. Now that there is a Congress government in Chhattisgarh, how is the permission given for deforestation and expansion of mines. In response, Rahul Gandhi said, they are talking about this issue within the party. Soon the result will come out.
Protests are happening across the state
Here the resentment against mining activities in Hasdeo is increasing across the state. Many organizations are opposing it from different forums. Demonstrations are being held against it almost every day somewhere. People of villages affected by Parsa coal block have been sitting on dharna there for almost three months. At the same time, the villagers are roaming in the forests guarding the trees. Cases related to this are also going on in various courts.
RK Sharma, CMD of Rajasthan State Electricity Generation Corporation had reached Raipur to meet the Chief Secretary on 24 May.
Rajasthan government increased pressure
Meanwhile, the Rajasthan government has increased the pressure to start mining. RK Sharma, Chairman-cum-Managing Director of Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam, met Chief Secretary Amitabh Jain on Tuesday. During this, he sought the help of the administration in starting mining at the earliest. His Parsa Kete Basan mine, he said, has only coal till the first week of June. If other mines are not started soon, then their thermal power plants will be closed. Sharma had also met the Collector-SP of Surguja and Surajpur on Monday.
On the night of 26 April, the company cut hundreds of trees like this without the permission of the Forest Department. When the villagers started a commotion in the morning, the harvesting stopped.
Hasdev faced the crisis of mines
Hasdeo Aranya is a vast and dense forest spread over one lakh 70 thousand hectares of North Chhattisgarh. It also has many coal blocks. The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change had given environmental clearance to the Parsa coal mine here in July 2019. Later on, some other mines were also approved. With that the crisis escalated and protests started. Local villagers, including Hasdeo Aranya Bachao Sangharsh Samiti, had alleged that the proposal on the basis of which this approval has been given was fake. The government did not listen and the next approval was also issued on different dates. In March-April, the state government issued approval to give forest land for mining. On 26 April, the company started felling trees without permission. They fled after local villagers protested.
Rajasthan received ICFRE recommendation wrongly!
,