New Delhi: In a recent response to an unstarred question in the Rajya Sabha, Union environment, forest and climate change minister Bhupender Yadav revealed on Thursday (December 5) that 94,460 trees have been felled in Parsa East Kete Basen (PEKB) mine in the Hasdeo forest region of Chattisgarh.
“As per the information received during the month of July, 2024 from the government of Chhattisgarh, 94,460 trees have been felled in Parsa East Kete Basen Mine and 53,40,586 trees have been planted as compensatory afforestation, mine reclamation and translocation. Further, the state has informed that 2,73,757 number of trees are to be cut in this forest for mining activities in the coming years,” Yadav informed the parliament.
The minister gave the reply in response to Communist Party of India (CPI) MP P. P. Suneer’s query about the Wildlife Institute of India’s (WII’s) recommendations regarding mining in the PEKB area. Additionally, the minister was requested to reveal whether the WII had cautioned about potential human-animal conflicts arising from mining expansion, and if the government had identified areas prone to such conflicts. The minister was also asked to provide the reasons behind granting mining clearance in the region despite environmental concerns, as well as the number of trees slated to be felled for mining in the Hasdeo region.
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Yadav mentioned in his response that the government of Chhattisgarh had assigned a Biodiversity Assessment Study of whole Hasdeo-Arand coalfields to Indian Council of Forestry, Research and Education, who in collaboration with the WII conducted the study and submitted the report to the state government. This report was later submitted to the Union government on June 14, 2021.
“The said report inter- alia suggested that the allotted four contiguous coal blocks falling within the Gej- Jhink watershed viz., Tara (15), Parsa (13) PEKB (14) & Kente Extension (12) that are either already opened or in advance stage of getting the statutory clearances/ToR approved, can be considered for mining with strict environmental safeguards including appropriate conservation measures for management of surface water and biodiversity,” the minister said.
Notably, the government’s approach to forest management and land acquisition for development projects has raised concerns among environmentalists and indigenous groups. Critics argue that the government’s push for afforestation and reforestation projects favours commercial plantations over the restoration of natural forests.
