Hasdeo Arand

• Context (TOI): Tribal rights activists condemn large scale tree-felling in Hasdeo.
• Called as lungs of Chhattisgarh, Hasdeo Arand is a 1,70,000-hectare forest.
• The forest falls under Korba, Sujapur and Sarguja districts with a sizeable tribal population.
• The Hasdeo River, the largest tributary of Mahanadi River, flows through it.
• It is the largest unfragmented forest in Central India consisting of pristine Sal and teak forests.
• The forest is a catchment area of Hasdeo Bango Dam, which helps in the irrigation of around 3,00,000 hectares for crops.
• It is home to animals like sloth bears, elephants, bird species, and endangered butterfly species.
• The forests are ecologically sensitive and are part of the elephant corridor.
• The Aranya region is home to 22 coal mines.

  

Protest Against Mining in Hasdeo

• In 2010, GoI designates Hasdeo Arand a “no-go” area for mining because of its rich forest cover.
• In 2011, the ‘No-Go’ policy circumvented. The Go, No-Go classification of forests was replaced and Parse East Kente Basab coal mine project was given a go ahead as part of Phase I.
• In 2022, Chhattisgarh government gave green light to Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam for coal mining as part of coal block’s Phase II.
• The tribal community has been protesting against the coal mining projects in the region to protect the ecologically sensitive region.