Vrinda Karat demands stay permission on expansion of Kente coal project

Writes letter to Union Minister Bhupendra Yadav….

New Delhi (Team GDNews): Strongly opposing the approval of Kente Extension Coal Project in Hasdeo Aranya area by Chhattisgarh Government and demanding immediate stay on it, former CPI(M) MP Vrinda Karat wrote the following letter to Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupendra Yadav:

“I am writing to you to strongly protest and request your intervention to reverse the disastrous decision of Chhattisgarh Forest Department to give green signal to operation of Kente Extension Coal Project which requires destruction of 1742 hectares of dense forest land. This approval has been given in June this year after so called inspection of the site by Surguja District Forest Officer.

As you are undoubtedly aware, this project, which is a part of the massive coal project in Hasdeo-Aranya area, was given to a power company owned by the Rajasthan Government. The previous Rajasthan Government in connivance with Adani Enterprises had given this project to a power company owned by the Rajasthan Government. A joint venture called Parsa Kente Collieries Ltd, in which Adani holds a 74% stake, was appointed the mine developer and operator of the Hasdeo-Parsa coal project. Records show that a large quantity of coal mined under the project has been diverted to the power projects of the private company in the name of utilisation of ‘reject coal’. These facts are relevant because the rationale given for approving the Kente Extension Coal Project is ‘public interest’. There is no public interest involved, it only involves exploitation of mineral resources for private gain.

If the project is implemented, it will cause even more devastation in the already badly affected areas where mining is going on. According to the official inspection report, at least 4.5 lakh trees will be felled. These trees are in dense forest, where native trees important for carbon absorption are abundant. Open-cast mining in the region has already destroyed thousands of trees, polluted water and land.

In addition, these projects have been banned in the respective villages This is being initiated by ignoring the opinion of the Sabhas and the provisions of the Constitution and the legal framework that make the consent of the Gram Sabhas mandatory. Open cast mining affects a very large geographical area beyond the actual project. So, even if human habitation is negligible in this specific area, many villages outside the area will be badly affected. Earlier, more than 1500 written objections were given to the government by the local communities. But these were ignored.

I would like to remind you of your statement made a few months ago, when you commented on the report of the Forest Survey of India, saying that “forest areas are being destroyed due to the rights being given under the Forest Rights Act, 2006. Stringent conservation measures needed…” (Hindustan Times, June 5). We had protested that statement and pointed out that so-called development projects were destroying forest areas. Stringent conservation measures are indeed needed to prevent our forests from being destroyed by private mining projects in the name of development. The tribals of this region have once again proved that they are the real protectors of forests in India by opposing this project and by their efforts to save trees and nature from destruction.

As the Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, it is certainly your responsibility to stop the indiscriminate cutting of forests, trees and destruction of rich biodiversity areas for the benefit of private companies.”