Aaditya Thackeray opposes centre's decision to auction coal mine blocks

Maharashtra Environment Minister Aaditya Thackeray on Monday opposed the centre’s proposal to auction a coal mining site near Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) in Chandrapur district. 

The central government had proposed an auction for mining at a site in Bander which is only kilometres away from the Tiger Reserve. Thackeray wrote to Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar opposing the destruction of wildlife corridors saying that it will harm the tiger reserve.

Thackeray’s remarks come after former Union Minister Jairam Ramesh also wrote a letter to Javadekar while expressing shock over centre’s proposal for coal block auction. He stated that the coal blocks auction was disastrous from an ecological viewpoint as several mines fall in dense forests and have a rich biodiversity. 

The Maharashtra Environment Minister said that the decision to auction coal mine block in the area has been scrapped twice in the year 1999 and 2011. This was done after evaluating whether the area was suitable for mining or not. 

“Why once again must we waste time and energy over a futile process when we know that it will destroy the wildlife corridor of Tadoba and Andhari?” Aaditya asserted while expressing displeasure over the centre’s decision.  

Thackeray further recalled that nearly a decade ago Ramesh, former Environment Minister in the UPA government, had stopped this destruction after surveying the area. He urged the Ministry of Forest, Environment and Climate Change to protect the area again. 

“Back then, almost a decade ago, the then Minister @Jairam_Ramesh ji had stopped this destruction. He had got the area surveyed and reports suggest that the mine site is not suitable at all,” the Maharashtra Minister tweeted. 

A day after the central government started the auction of coal mines for commercial extraction by the private sector, Jairam Ramesh in his letter said that the coalfield which falls under “no go” area should never be considered for mining under any circumstances. 

Earlier, during the ‘Save Aarey’ agitation, Thackeray had extended his support to the protesters while opposing the cutting of trees in Mumbai’s Aarey colony for the Metro-3 car shed project. 

Also Read - 

Devendra Fadnavis Alleges Selling Of Substandard Seeds To Farmers

Maharashtra BJP To Launch Another Statewide Agitation To Highlight Farmers' Issue