Baghel visits site hit by tree felling for coal mine in Raigarh
Bhupesh Baghel
, along with over 20 Congress MLAs, visited Tamnar in Raigarh district to assess concerns over large-scale tree felling in the region, linked to a coal mine project of a private mining operator.
During the visit, Baghel met villagers who claimed to face police action while protesting the environmental impact of the project.
Baghel expressed concern over the manner in which the state's natural resources—such as land, forests, water, and minerals—were being made available for industrial use. He alleged that deforestation activities were carried out under pressure, without the consent of local gram sabhas.
He also raised issues related to the treatment of tribal residents protesting the project.
He pointed out that extensive tree felling began during the previous BJP-led state govt's tenure and that the current administration continued the trend. Referring to the Hasdeo Aranya region, Baghel claimed more than 50,000 trees were already cut.
Citing official communication, he mentioned a letter dated Oct 31, 2022, from the state's Forest Department requesting the Centre to halt coal mining activities in the Parsa block and to withdraw tree felling proposals. He added that the previous Congress govt passed a resolution in the Assembly urging cancellation of all coal blocks in ecologically sensitive areas, including Hasdeo Aranya.
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