Latest news with #Afforestation
The Print
21-07-2025
- Politics
- The Print
Over 3.68 lakh trees to be ‘affected' for Adani mining project in Chhattisgarh, Centre tells LS
Citing the state government's proposal for forest land diversions, the response read that 3,68,217 trees 'will be affected'. In response to a question by Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Liberation MP Raja Ram Singh seeking details on the number of trees impacted for the PEKB coal mining project in Chhattisgarh, Minister of State for Environment Kirti Vardhan Singh said that permissions for the PEKB project expansions were granted twice. New Delhi: Over 3.68 lakh trees will be cut in Chhattisgarh's Hasdeo Arand for the Parsa East Kente Basan (PEKB) coal mines—an Adani Enterprises project, a reply by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) before the Lok Sabha read Monday. 'The diversion of forest land is allowed subject to conditions including the Compensatory Afforestation (CA), payment of Net Present Value (NPV) and other appropriate mitigation measures,' the reply read. Hasdeo Arand is among the largest contiguous dense forests—continuous stretches of forest lands—in central India. It spans around 1,70,000 hectares and is home to animals like the sloth bear, elephant, and rare plant species, including smilax and epiphytic orchids. The area is divided into 23 coal blocks, six of which are approved for mining. According to government documents, the contracts for four of these approved mining blocks are with Adani Enterprises. Also read: SC bars govt from giving post-facto environmental clearance citing citizens' rights, conservation Environmental impact The Lok Sabha reply read that the Chhattisgarh Environmental Conservation Board (CECB) had held public hearings in Parsa, Kente, Basan, Salhi, Hariharpur, Ghartbara and Parogiya villages in the Sarguja district in 2009 for the project. An Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) was formed to consider the issues raised during the public hearing, after which the project was recommended for a mandatory environmental clearance (EC) before going ahead. The environmental clearance was granted in December 2011. Another public hearing was conducted by the CECB in 2016 to increase the capacity of the coal mining and washery from 10 MTPA (million tonnes per annum) to 15 MTPA. 'The issues raised in the public hearing include mine discharge, arrangement of treatment of polluted water, transportation of coal, employment, culture and traditions, rehabilitation,' Monday's reply read. In 2022, another EC was granted to increase the coal production from 15 to 18 MTPA—a 20% increase. 'As part of this expansion project, the proponent has carried out a cumulative impact assessment for the coal mining and the coal washery,' the reply added. (Edited by Viny Mishra) Also read: 8 yrs into probe, CBI books Aditya Birla Group's Hindalco for 'corruption' over environmental clearances
India Today
03-06-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Himachal floats tender for waste management plant as Kasol faces garbage crisis
The Himachal Pradesh government has floated a tender for construction of the long-delayed solid waste management plant at Kasol after an India Today investigation revealed how waste was being hastily buried in pits inside the forest. The tender, of Rs 30 lakh, has been floated by the rural development department, which has set a two-month deadline for the completion of the move came as videos went viral on social media showing a mountain of garbage and plastic bags dumped in a forest in Kasol, a popular tourist hub nestled in the picturesque Parvati Valley. It triggered widespread outrage on social media. The Kullu deputy commissioner said the site where the video was shot was not an official dumping site. The state pollution control board has issued a notice to the vendor and will also impose a fine for dumping garbage at an unauthorised location. Waste was also found to be dumped at another location without informing the rural development department. The deputy commissioner said the Special Area Development Authority (SADA) could also be fined for the official stressed that cleanup operations were now underway on a war footing. However, the official said it would take a few months to streamline solid waste management incidents, within a demarcated wildlife sanctuary zone, have exposed serious violations by local authorities of the terms of land government had granted approval (stage 1) for diverting 0.1982 hectares of forest land for setting up a solid waste management plant at Kasol under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980. It came with stringent the key pre-conditions were the payment of Compensatory Afforestation (CA) and Net Present Value (NPV) charges, submission of a Forest Rights Act (FRA) certificate from the district collector, and an undertaking that no other approved proposal in the division was pending for conditions include no change to the legal status of forest land, restrictions on tree felling, protection of wildlife, establishment of a green belt, onsite waste treatment, prohibition of labour camps, Reel
