Adani Faces New Challenge: 1 Million Petitions to be Submitted in Assembly to Save Hasdeo Forests

Raipur, September 17, 2024 – A significant hurdle has emerged for the Adani Group as efforts to protect Chhattisgarh’s Hasdeo Aranya forests intensify. In the upcoming winter session of the Legislative Assembly, 1 million petitions will be submitted, raising strong opposition against the ongoing deforestation and coal mining in the Hasdeo region. This massive people’s movement, led by the Chhattisgarh Bachao Andolan and several other social organizations, is expected to escalate the challenges faced by the Adani Group.

Over the past 18 months, more than 40,000 trees have already been cut down in Hasdeo’s rich forests, where a total of 1 million trees are set to be felled for coal mining. These forests are home to precious trees like sal, mahua, bija, and tendu, along with endangered flora and fauna. The mining operations have also put the historic Ramgarh hills and Sita cave at risk, further intensifying the environmental crisis.

Leaders of this protest allege that approvals for coal blocks like Parsa East Kete Basen, Parsa, and Kete Extension, allocated to Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Nigam Limited, were based on fraudulent Gram Sabha resolutions. In a recent hearing of the Scheduled Tribes Commission, it was revealed that Gram Panchayat secretaries were coerced into approving these mining projects under pressure from higher officials.

During the meeting, activists sharply criticized the BJP and the Adani Group, accusing them of handing over Chhattisgarh’s natural resources to a single industrialist. They alleged that wherever Adani’s projects are being implemented, the administration is blatantly ignoring constitutional and legal protocols. The leaders vowed to launch a statewide movement against this, which could significantly disrupt Adani’s plans.

The meeting saw participation from several prominent leaders, including Sanjay Parate, Vice President of the Chhattisgarh Kisan Sabha, Alok Shukla from Chhattisgarh Bachao Andolan, Ram Lal Kariyam from the Hasdeo Aranya Bachao Sangharsh Samiti, and many other activists and concerned citizens.

This mass movement not only poses a significant challenge to Adani Group’s projects but also holds the potential to impact state politics, as it directly involves environmental and tribal rights in Chhattisgarh.