Raipur
Chhattisgarh’s Surguja, which is continuously distressed with the opening of mines, is going to witness another public hearing on environmental clearance to extension to coal mine in Hasdeo-Aranya area on July 14, 2021. Hundreds of villagers of affected villages started flocking to oppose the proposed public hearing.
A public meeting was held in the affected area on Thursday. President of Chhattisgarh Bachao Andolan (CBA) Alok Shukla said, "The place which earmarked for mining is conserved forest area. The forest department has neither earmarked the area for mining nor forest clearance was granted."
"The organisation of public hearing in village Parsa as part of Kete-Basan extension project is itself illegal. Therefore, to save the land, forest and water from corporate grabbing, we organised a public meeting in Fatehpur on Thursday,” Shukla added.
To prevent environmental degradation, we also wrote to CM Bhupesh Baghel, he said.
“The government has also proposed to reduce the size of Lemru elephant reserve from 1,995 sq km to 450 sq km. It will create havoc in the area, increase man-animal conflicts,” he said