Chhattisgarh: Surguja division villagers protest mining projects; seek protection of Hasdeo area

Ambikapur, Jan 16 (PTI) Hundreds of villagers from Surguja division of Chhattisgarh on Friday staged a protest rally alleging forced mining projects in the region, particularly in the biodiversity-rich Hasdeo Arand area.

The protesters held a public meeting at the BTI ground in Ambikapur, the district headquarters of Surguja, and later marched to the Collectorate, where they submitted a memorandum containing a 13-point charter of demands to the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) addressed to Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai.

Surguja division, located in northern Chhattisgarh, comprises Balrampur-Ramanujganj, Jashpur, Koriya, Manendragarh-Chirmiri-Bharatpur, Surajpur and Surguja districts.

The protest was organised by several civil society and farmers' groups, including Hasdeo Bachao Sangharsh Samiti, Hasdeo Aranya Bachao Sangharsh Samiti and Chhattisgarh Bachao Andolan (CBA).

Addressing the gathering, CBA convenor Alok Shukla claimed forest land diversion and land acquisition for mining projects were being carried out across Fifth Schedule areas, including Surguja, without gram sabha consent.

He accused the state government of prioritising corporate interests over the rights of tribal communities.

"Mining in the ecologically sensitive Hasdeo Arand region would lead to large-scale destruction of forests and aggravate human-elephant conflict," Shukla asserted.

Sunita Porte of Hasdeo Aranya Bachao Sangharsh Samiti said the Chhattisgarh assembly had unanimously passed a resolution in 2022 stating mining activities should not be carried out in the Hasdeo area.

Citing a 2021 recommendation of Wildlife Institute of India, Porte said the entire Hasdeo region was advised to be kept mining-free to prevent human-elephant conflict.

"Despite this, the state government had issued recommendations for Kente Extension coal mining project. The forest clearance for Parsa coal block was obtained on the basis of forged gram sabha resolutions," she claimed.

Residents from mining-affected areas, who took part in the protest, also voiced concerns over environmental damage caused by blasting and land degradation.

They warned of an indefinite agitation if no concrete action was taken on their demands.

The demands listed in the memorandum include cancellation of forest and environmental clearances for the Kente Extension coal block in Hasdeo Arand and immediate halt to land acquisition for SECL's Madanpur open-cast mine and Amera expansion projects.

It also sought stopping of graphite survey work in villages of Wadrafnagar tehsil in Balrampur district, cancellation of the proposed bauxite mining project in Mainpat, strict enforcement of environmental norms in existing mines, and permanent employment for local youth. PTI COR TKP BNM