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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsIndia plans to fell ancient forest to create 40 new coalfields
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/aug/08/india-prime-minister-narendra-modi-plans-to-fell-ancient-forest-to-create-40-new-coal-fieldsOver the past decade, Umeshwar Singh Amra has witnessed his homeland descend into a battleground. The war being waged in Hasdeo Arand, a rich and biodiverse Indian forest, has pitted indigenous people, ancient trees, elephants and sloths against the might of bulldozers, trucks and hydraulic jacks, fighting with a single purpose: the extraction of coal.
Yet under a new self-reliant India plan by the prime minister, Narendra Modi, to boost the economy post-Covid-19 and reduce costly imports, 40 new coalfields in some of Indias most ecologically sensitive forests are to be opened up for commercial mining.
Among them are four huge blocks of Hasdeo Arands 420,000 acres of forest in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh, which sit above an estimated 5bn tonnes of coal.
It marks a significant shift. The coal industry in India is state-owned, but this auction of 40 new coal blocks will see the creation of a privatised, commercial coal sector in India. Among those bidding for it are Indias rich and powerful industrial giants, including the $14bn (£11bn) Adani group run by the Indian billionaire Gautam Adani, who operates Indias largest coal power plants and has close ties to Modi.
The coal auction has already proved controversial at both the local and political level. At least seven of the coal blocks up for auction were previously deemed no go areas for mining due to their environmentally valuable status and about 80% of the blocks are home to indigenous communities and thick forest cover. Four state governments West Bengal, Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh have written to Modi in opposition or raised legal objections to the auction, and one coal block, which overlapped with the Tadoba tiger reserve in Maharashtra, has already been removed.
Yet under a new self-reliant India plan by the prime minister, Narendra Modi, to boost the economy post-Covid-19 and reduce costly imports, 40 new coalfields in some of Indias most ecologically sensitive forests are to be opened up for commercial mining.
Among them are four huge blocks of Hasdeo Arands 420,000 acres of forest in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh, which sit above an estimated 5bn tonnes of coal.
It marks a significant shift. The coal industry in India is state-owned, but this auction of 40 new coal blocks will see the creation of a privatised, commercial coal sector in India. Among those bidding for it are Indias rich and powerful industrial giants, including the $14bn (£11bn) Adani group run by the Indian billionaire Gautam Adani, who operates Indias largest coal power plants and has close ties to Modi.
The coal auction has already proved controversial at both the local and political level. At least seven of the coal blocks up for auction were previously deemed no go areas for mining due to their environmentally valuable status and about 80% of the blocks are home to indigenous communities and thick forest cover. Four state governments West Bengal, Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh have written to Modi in opposition or raised legal objections to the auction, and one coal block, which overlapped with the Tadoba tiger reserve in Maharashtra, has already been removed.
Stupid humans doing more stupid shit for stupid reasons.
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India plans to fell ancient forest to create 40 new coalfields (Original Post)
CousinIT
Aug 2020
OP
SiliconValley_Dem
(1,656 posts)1. 2 for 1
Newest Reality
(12,712 posts)2. For coal, of all things.
Well, sure, why not. All bets are off and the Amazon is getting shaved and raped, too.
Climate change is taking way too long to really wipe things out, so let's not dawdle. Who has the patience?
VMA131Marine
(4,139 posts)3. This is ridiculous!
India should have no problem getting most of the power they need from wind, solar, and nuclear. This is a giveaway to the coal miners.
Its like these people dont think there is a problem with too much CO2 going into the atmosphere.
JI7
(89,252 posts)9. that's what the article says. renewables are cheaper and more profitable
for business and provide more jobs.
But some billionaire coal guy has connections to Modi so things have to be destroyed and people's lives ruined so corrupt shitty people can line their own pockets some more.
a kennedy
(29,673 posts)4. Damn.......
no_hypocrisy
(46,122 posts)5. How many new pandemics do you think that will create?
BlancheSplanchnik
(20,219 posts)6. 😪😪😪😪😪😪stupid humans. Stupid human overpopulation. 😱😭😱😭😱😭😱
mr_lebowski
(33,643 posts)7. Sometimes ... I really hate my species (nt)
JI7
(89,252 posts)8. billionaire Gautam Adani, who operates India's largest coal power plants and has close ties to Modi.
Modi is backwards trash.