National Green Tribunal: In an original application against illegal cutting of more than 15,000 trees in Hasdev forest, Korba and Sarguja District of the State of Chhattisgarh for carrying out the proposed coal mining project of Parsa East, District Kele Bason, the Bench of Sheo Kumar Singh, Judicial Member and Dr. Vijay Kulkarni, Expert Member, noted that the Joint Committee found that the necessary permissions were taken by the project proponents. The Tribunal directed the Project Proponent that the necessary plantation must be done to maintain the ecology in the area.
Even after villagers’ protests, illegal cutting of trees was allowed at the instance of proponents, and cutting is still continuing with the intervention of police Authorities. The coal mining project was allotted to the Rajasthan State Electricity Corporation, which entered into an agreement with the Government and Adani and is proceeding with the project by cutting down trees illegally.
After cognizance, the Tribunal constituted a committee to submit the factual and action taken report. The Tribunal perused the Committee’s report which stated that the Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Limited had applied for the diversion of 1898.328 ha of forest land (1654.109 ha of revenue forest land and 244.219 ha of notified forest land) located in villages Parsa and Kete Bason, District Surguja for captive coal block open cast mining. The Divisional Forest Officer, Surguja, provided the details of tree felling for Phase I and Phase II of the PEKB coal mine block. 15307 trees were felled in the year 2022-23 till 2024.
The Tribunal also noted that by government order dated 02-02-2020 proposal for non- forestry use of the land was sanctioned. Hence, the Tribunal held that there was no violation by the project proponents.
[Anita v. State of Chhattisgarh, Original Application No. 05/2025(CZ), decided on: 03-04-2025]
Advocates who appeared in this case :
For Respondent(s): Mr. Atmaram N.S. Nadkarni, Sr. Adv. Along with Mr. Kunal Verma, Adv. Mr. Shaurya P.S. Parihar, Adv. with Mr. Siddharth Singh Chouhan, Adv. Dr. Sapna Aggarwal, Adv. Ms.Parul Bhadoria, Adv.
