Amid the decade-long protest against coal mining by residents of Chhattisgarh’s Hasdeo Aranya area, Bhupesh Baghel-led Chhattisgarh government issued final approval earlier this year for Parsa East and Kente Basan phase 2 mining and Parsa coal mines on 25 March and 6 April, respectively.
Both mines are situated in Hasdeo Aranya and are allocated to Rajasthan’s Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Limited (RRVUNL) which has entered into a mine developer and operator contract (MDO) with Adani Enterprises Limited.
Hasdeo is claimed to be central India’s largest unfragmented forest patch and a migratory corridor of elephants. Earlier, a biodiversity report prepared jointly by the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) and Wildlife institute of India (WII) had recommended to not allow opening of any more mines in Hasdeo.