SAVE HASDEO FOREST

Tribal people from India march to save the Hasdeo forest from mining project

Tribal people from the Hasdeo Forest embarked on a historical foot march to the state capital to save their lands and livelihoods from a mining project by the Indian multinational Adani group.

In India's Chhattisgarh, hundreds of tribal people from thirty villages of the Sarguja and Korba districts marched to the state capital Raipur in the second week of October, to protest against an Adani group mining project that poses a threat to their lands and livelihood.provision for obtaining Gram Sabha consent and affected villagers would be compensated fairly under provisions of Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 and Chhattisgarh Rehabilitation Policy of 2007. 

Members of the Struggle Committee claim that this compensation is insufficient and unfair, claiming that their homeland cannot be monetarily compensated. They say, "Whatever the sum is, the money would eventually run out but our land and homes have been here for years."

One more issue that haunts Hasdeo Forest reserve is the non-implementation of Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 and Forest Rights Act, 2006, however most of this land qualifies as Fifth Schedule Area as provided in the Constitution of India. Villagers have already claimed their Community Rights but their claims are still pending to be executed and approved. Despite fierce opposition by Gram Sabha, environment and forest clearances have been done with. 

At the end of their over-300km march, the tribal people of Hasdeo Forest have called for the following demands: 

1.  All land acquisition done under the Coal Bearing Areas Act without prior consent of Gram Sabha must be cancelled with immediate effect. 
2. All coal mining projects must be scrapped in the area. 
3. Implement provisions of prior consent by Gram Sabha under PESA Act, 1996 before initiating any process of land acquisition under any act in Fifth Schedule Areas. 
4. Withdraw forest clearance permission in Parsa coal block that has been obtained on the basis of forged documents and initiate penal proceedings against officials and the company involved in forgery. 
5. Provide individual and community forest rights claims in each and every village and reinstate community forest rights claims in Ghatbarra village that were cancelled before. 
6. Obey PESA Act, 1996.