Alok Shukla Highlights Ongoing Battle to Save Chhattisgarh's 'Lungs' in Bhopal

Environmental activist Alok Shukla, recipient of the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize, addressed citizens at Gandhi Bhavan on Friday 13th June, discussing the decade-and-a-half-long struggle to protect Hasdeo Aranya, often called the "lungs of Chhattisgarh."

The interactive session brought together intellectuals, social workers, and youth from the city to discuss the comprehensive fight to preserve one of India's most biodiverse forest regions from coal mining operations.

Movement Born from Constitutional Rights

Shukla, representing the Hasdeo Aranya Bachao Sangharsh Samiti (Save Hasdeo Forest Struggle Committee), explained that the movement began in 2010 when coal mining blocks were allocated in this dense, naturally rich forest teeming with wildlife and biodiversity.

"This isn't just about saving trees," Shukla emphasized. "This is about protecting every aspect of human life." The forest serves as the primary livelihood source for local tribal communities and acts as the main catchment area for the Hasdeo River, which irrigates hundreds of thousands of hectares across Janjgir, Korba, and Bilaspur districts, while also serving as a crucial source of drinking water.

Government Flip-Flops on Forest Protection

Chhatisgarh-based activist highlighted the policy inconsistencies that have marked this struggle. In 2009, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) had decided to keep the entire Hasdeo region mining-free due to its environmental sensitivity. This stance was reinforced in 2021 when the Wildlife Institute of India recommended declaring the entire Hasdeo area a "no-go zone," warning that even a single mine would escalate human-elephant conflicts and threaten the Hasdeo River and Bango reservoir.

The Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly unanimously passed a resolution in July 2022 to cancel all coal blocks in Hasdeo Aranya. In May 2023, the state government filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court promising not to permit any mines except the already operational PEKB coal mine.

However, following a change in state government, these decisions have been reversed. Trees in the Parsa coal block are currently being cut under police protection, despite affected villages never providing consent through their gram sabhas.

Constitutional Violations and Fake Consent

Shukla revealed that the Chhattisgarh State Scheduled Tribe Commission investigated allegedly fabricated gram sabha resolutions created through collusion between companies and district administration. The commission declared these resolutions fake and recommended canceling forest clearances.

The struggle involves three mines allocated to Rajasthan, which threaten to destroy 15,000 acres of Hasdeo forest, requiring the felling of approximately 1.2 million trees.

Despite current challenges, Shukla highlighted significant achievements: "We succeeded in getting 20 out of 23 coal blocks canceled." These 20 blocks, spread across 2,000 square kilometers, have been notified as the Lemru Elephant Reserve.

The discussion emphasized the crucial role of urban youth in supporting the movement and the growing environmental consciousness among young people. Participants stressed the need to protect India's forests from corporate exploitation and challenge the current profit-driven development model during these critical times of climate change.

As Shukla concluded, "We haven't won yet, and they haven't defeated us either" – a statement that encapsulates the ongoing nature of this environmental battle that has implications far beyond Chhattisgarh's borders.

The Hasdeo Aranya struggle represents a critical test case for India's environmental governance and the rights of indigenous communities. With climate change accelerating and forest cover declining nationwide, the outcome of this movement will likely influence similar conservation battles across the country. 

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