The Congress, All Assam Students’ Union (AASU), Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) and environmental activist Jadav Payeng on Wednesday said coal mining inside the Dehing Patkai forest would damage its ecological balance and warned against strong protests if any such move was initiated. The Coal India Limited (CIL), which has been carrying out mining activities inside the forest for 16 years since 2003, may obtain an official license to resume this activity if the PSU major fulfills a set of 28 conditions.
People have called on social media to ban mining in the Dehing Patkai Elephant Reserve, which is spread over the districts of Dibrugarh and Tinsukia. The online petition in this regard has already attracted more than 52,000 signatures.
“Coal mining should be stopped to protect our climate and environment. I appeal to the central and state governments to ban mining inside Dehing Patkai,” environmental activist Jadav Payeng, who is known as the ‘Forest Man of India’, said.
Coal mining within Dehing Patkai will have a negative impact on the ecological balance of the area, said Payeng, recipient of the 128th Commonwealth Light Points Award.
The contention of the Padma Shri awardee was backed by Assam Congress MP Pradyut Bordoloi.
“Since this BJP government came to power in Assam in 2016, illegal coal mining increased many-fold and is patronised by the ruling politicians. Hundreds of coal-laden trucks come out of Dehing Patkai and many other areas of Upper Assam.”
He claimed that there were hundreds of rat-hole mines in operation and that the police did not take any action despite complaints from different quarters.
“Now the government wants to damage Dehing Patkai in an organised way through the CIL. If the final approval is given to the company for mining inside the forest, nobody will be able to save it,” he said adding that the Congress will hit the streets against such devastating steps once the lockdown is lifted.
The Center granted in-principle (Stage-I) clearance to PSU Major Coal India Limited (CIL) for mining on 57.20 hectares in Dehing Patkai forest in December 2019, subject to 28 conditions, including payment of fine and action against officers responsible for violating the Forest Conservation Act.
At a meeting held last month, the Standing Committee of the National Wildlife Board (NBWL) under the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Climate Change of the Union, stated that the CIL will be granted final approval (stage-II) provided that the conditions are met.
Accordingly, the Assam Forest Department has imposed a penalty of Rs 43.25 crore on the CIL for carrying out illegal mining activities inside the forest, known as the Amazon of the East, for 16 years since 2003.
The Forest Department also filed a FIR against officials responsible for the alleged illegal activity in approximately 73 hectares of land within the Dehing Patkai Elephant Reserve between 2003 and 2019.
Rejecting the logic of the mining advocates that the proposed area falls under Saleki, which is outside the Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary, Bordoloi said that it falls under the Elephant Reserve and is only three kilometers from the main sanctuary.
AASU Secretary General Lurinjyoti Gogoi said that Dehing Patkai has a rich biodiversity and that any measure to tamper with its characteristics will not be accepted.
“It has some endangered species, unique orchids and many other habitats. The NBWL move for approval is not appreciable. Even if the CIL gets the final approval, we will not recognise it and will oppose it strongly,” he added.
Gogoi stressed that the man-elephant conflict would rise significantly throughout Upper Assam if their home in Dehing Patkai had been touched.
KMSS President Raju Bora said the organization and the people of the state will do everything possible to protect the “second Amazon” of the world.
“If we destroy Dehing Patkai, the entire North East will suffer. After the lockdown is over, we will launch an aggressive campaign against coal mining inside the forest,” he added.
The Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary is 111,42 km2 long, while the Dehing Patkai Elephant Reserve with a surface area of 937 km2 surrounds the sanctuary in its periphery.
Leading environmentalists, activists, teachers and students are protesting on social media with the hashtag “Save the Amazon from East Coal Mafia” and “I am Dehing Patkai” against the NBWL ‘s decision to recommend the CIL ‘s proposal for approval.
The mining lease was granted to CIL for 30 years in 1973. After its expiry, CIL was to apply for forest clearance, but only in 2012. However, mining continued there until last year, according to a senior official in the forest department.
