Uproar in Chhattisgarh Assembly as Congress alleges rampant deforestation for mining

Raipur, Dec 16 (PTI) The Chhattisgarh Assembly on Tuesday witnessed a noisy protest by the Congress which alleged that forests were being cut down on a large scale in tribal-dominated Surguja and Bastar divisions for mining.

Several MLAs of the opposition party were suspended briefly after they trooped into the well of the House when Speaker Raman Singh rejected their demand for a discussion on the issue.

Leader of Opposition Charan Das Mahant, Umesh Patel and other Congress members moved an adjournment motion notice during Zero Hour, claiming that areas such as Surguja, Hasdeo Aranya coalfields, Tamnar and Bastar were witnessing mass protests and road blockades over the diversion of forest land for coal mining.

Approvals were granted for mines in these areas on the basis of fake public hearings, Congress MLAs alleged, asking whether the Vishnu Deo Sai-led BJP government was working for the welfare of Chhattisgarh and its people or for industrialists and capitalists at the cost of forests and people's livelihoods.

Unprecedented deforestation was being witnessed in Tamnar region of Raigarh district where sarpanches of 61 gram panchayats had approached the collector demanding action against the alleged creation of fake gram sabhas through fake public hearings for obtaining approval for coal mines, they said.

Hasdeo Arand, often called the "lungs of Chhattisgarh", had already lost lakhs of trees, threatening biodiversity, water resources and elephant corridors, and it could intensify human-elephant conflict and water scarcity, Congress MLAs alleged.

There was rampant tree felling in Aridongri area of Bhanupratappur in Kanker district, the opposition party claimed.

Responding to the allegations, Forest and Climate Change Minister Kedar Kashyap said the government was committed to the protection of forests, wildlife, tribals and the environment.

Citing Forest Survey of India reports, he claimed Chhattisgarh's forest cover had increased by 94.75 sq km, while the area under 'trees outside forests' had risen by 702 sq km, the highest in the country.

Over the past two years, only 1,300.8 hectares of forest land was diverted for five mining projects under the Forest (Conservation) Act in accordance with the rules and after obtaining approval from the central government, Kashyap claimed.

He rejected the allegations of fake public hearings, protests by locals, and lathi-charge by security forces.

Compensatory afforestation was being carried out in all forest land diversion cases. Plantations would be undertaken over 1,780.109 hectares at the rate of 1,000 saplings per hectare, amounting to nearly 17.80 lakh saplings, the minister said.

Separate wildlife conservation plans were prepared for each mining project to mitigate their impact, he said.

Refuting the allegations of large-scale illegal tree felling in Tamnar, the minister said only 6,650 trees were felled for two (coal mine) projects as per the norms, and gram sabha meetings were conducted in accordance with rules.

Eighteen villages are affected due to these two projects, Kashyap said, adding that 214.8 hectares of forest land was diverted for the Gare Pelma Sector-II mines of Maharashtra State Power Generation Company Limited.

The permission for diversion of forest land was granted by the Government of India on January 27, 2023, and that for felling 3,684 trees was granted by the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Production) on February 19, 2025, as per the rules, the minister said, adding that of these, only 1,124 trees have been cut.

In addition, 5,526 trees were felled on 91.179 hectares for the Gare Pelma Coal Block 4/1 of Jindal Steel and Power Limited (JSPL), he said.

''It is not correct to say that the government's actions violate the Forest Rights Act (FRA), public hearing norms or the orders of the National Green Tribunal. The forest land diversion process was carried out only after obtaining a Forest Rights Act no-objection certificate from the collector, and tree-felling permissions were granted strictly in accordance with rules,'' he said.

The minister also rejected allegations of indiscriminate tree felling in Aridongri in Bhanupratappur, and said following the approval for the diversion of 138.960 hectares of forest land for Godavari Power and Ispat project, 28,922 trees were felled in accordance with the rules.

After the minister's reply, the Speaker disallowed the adjournment motion notice, which led to Congress members shouting slogans and trooping into the well.

The Speaker then announced the suspension of 30 Congress members. The suspension was, however, revoked after a few minutes. PTI TKP KRK