Maharashtra Environment Minister Aaditya Thackeray recently opposed the auction process of a coal mining site in Maharashtra’s Chandrapur. It is one of the 41 coal mining blocks to be auctioned to private companies.
The Narendra Modi government has opened up doors for private investment in the coal mining sector which is dominated by state-owned Coal India Limited (CIL). Thackeray wrote to Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar registering his opposition to the central government’s proposal to auction a coal mining site near Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR).
The mining site is situated in Bander which is 8-10 kilometres away from the Tiger Reserve. Thackeray said that the mining activity will harm the Tiger reserve and such destruction was wildlife corridors was not acceptable.
Many environmentalists have already expressed their concerns over the same as mining activities can be destructive to the local biodiversity and affect the ecosystem of a larger area.
Stalin Dayanand, a conservationist and an eco-activist based in Mumbai, spoke to Mumbai Live about the harms of coal mining and the threats it causes to the environment. Stalin, Director of Vanashakti NGO, says that the coal mining activity is completely destructive and does 100 per cent harm to the environment.
“The only plus point to coal mining is that it extracts huge profits for the private miners,” he asserted while stating that even the government gets nothing in return from it. “What is lost is the natural heritage and the public asset,” Stalin added.
“The fact is that mining causes major problems. It destroys the vegetation. It pollutes and destroys the groundwater table. It destroys the source of rivers and the wildlife habitat. These are not allegations but the accepted position of the mining industry,” he informed.
He says that the mining industries always try to offset their damage by announcing that they are doing certain ‘plantations’. However, there is no way a destroyed habitat can be restored after a mining operation, Stalin added.
Reacting to the centre’s decision to auction the coal mine blocks, Stalin said that the central government stopped looking after the environment from 2014. It came to power saying that they will bulldoze the environment and allow all kinds of industrial activities, he added.
“From 2014 to 2020, the central government has only diluted and break-up laws as well as the institutions to allow degradation and destruction of the environment,” the Vanashakti Director said.
Along with Thackeray, former Union Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh has also written to Javadekar expressing shock over the centre’s decision saying that the coalfield which falls under “no go” area should never be considered for mining under any circumstances.
Taking a dig at Javadekar, Stalin said that Jairam Ramesh was the last Union Environment Minister we had or rather the only Environment Minister after Indira Gandhi. Jayanti Natrajan, being the minister of environment, took a stand and said that the mandate of her ministry was to protect and not give clearances, he recalled.
“As far as Javadekar is concerned, he will go down as one of the worst ministers for environment in the world,” Stalin contended while alleging that he has allowed industries to have a free hand to anything they want.
"It is heartening to see states including Maharashtra and Jharkhand voice out against mining in such times. Not only Aaditya Thackeray but the ministers in Jharkhand have also opposed mining activities", he said.
Stalin, who has been one of the leading figures in the ‘Save Aarey’ movement, said that the role of an environment minister is to protect the environment. He expressed that he was glad to see Thackeray being honest to his mandate as the environment minister.
“It is very rare in the history of our country that an environment has been honest to his ministry and his mandate. The role of the environment minister is to protect the environment. I feel glad to see Aaditya Thackeray step up and speak for the same,” he said.
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