Environment Panel Approves Coal Mining Proposal in Chhattisgarh Hasdeo Arand Forest

The Environment Ministry’s Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) has granted a Stage I in principle approval for coal mining in the ecologically sensitive Hasdeo Arand forest of Chhattisgarh , intensifying a long running national debate over forests, tribal rights, and coal based energy expansion in India.

The clearance pertains to the Kente Extension Opencast Coal Block in Surguja district , a project allocated in 2015 to Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Limited (RVUNL) and being developed by the Adani Group . According to official documents and committee records, the project involves diversion of approximately 1,742.6 hectares of forest land and the felling of nearly 4.48 lakh trees , placing it among the most significant proposed forest diversions in central India in recent years.

The FAC, in its meeting held on May 8, 2026 , has not granted final clearance but recommended conditional approval under Stage I , requiring strict compliance before any operational forest diversion is allowed. The committee has mandated a phased mining approach , restricting the first phase to 1,001.95 hectares over 15 years , while the remaining 740.65 hectares will depend on measurable progress in reforestation, biodiversity restoration, and wildlife management outcomes.

The decision has immediately revived opposition from environmental groups and tribal rights activists, who argue that the project could cause irreversible ecological damage . The Hasdeo Arand forest is known for its dense Sal forests , rich biodiversity, and its role as a critical wildlife habitat supporting at least nine Schedule I species , including elephants, leopards, and sloth bears . The proposed mining site lies close to the Lemru elephant corridor , where elephant movement has already been recorded, raising concerns over habitat fragmentation.

Activists have also highlighted the scale of ecological loss, warning that cutting 4.48 lakh trees across nearly 1,740 hectares could destabilise the region’s hydrological balance , particularly the Hasdeo river catchment system. The forest feeds tributaries such as the Charnoi river , which flows into the Hasdeo river and supports the Bango Dam , a key water source for downstream irrigation and drinking needs. Environmental studies by the ICFRE and Wildlife Institute of India (WII) have already flagged the region as vulnerable to soil erosion and gully erosion if large scale deforestation occurs.

At the heart of the controversy is a recurring national conflict between three competing priorities: India’s rising coal demand for energy security , the need to preserve forest ecosystems like Hasdeo Arand, and the protection of tribal communities, many of whom depend directly on forest land and resources for survival.

Representatives of the Chhattisgarh Bachao Andolan , including Alok Shukla , have warned that the project could permanently alter the ecological character of the region and weaken livelihoods in forest dependent villages, arguing that compensatory afforestation cannot replace old growth Sal forests.

With the FAC’s conditional approval now in place, Hasdeo Arand once again stands at the center of India’s development versus conservation debate, where the final decision will shape the balance between energy ambitions, ecological stability, and tribal rights in one of the country’s most contested landscapes.