The recent clearance by Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) under Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) to divert 115.685 hectares of reserved forest land in the crucial Pench- Satpuda Tiger corridor has kicked up a controversy.
The FAC’s decision has come in favour of Pushp Steel and Mining Private limited for underground coal mining in Brahmpuri coal block in Pench Kanha coalfield in Chhindwara district of MP. Earlier, MoEF had also allowed coal mining in the three km wide stretch in between the two reserves in the same district with some restrictions.
Experts pointed out that big cat populations will be divided into groups if their habitat is fragmented. This can lead to inbreeding and a genetic bottleneck, affecting their long-term survival. The sources in MoEF, however, argued that the decision has been taken after due consultations with NTCA and WII and delineating the tiger corridor.
A NBWl member pointed out that considering the importance of tiger conservation such projects should not be given priority. The area is one of the biggest passages for wildlife to move from one forest to another and has 12 coal blocks.
Such a step will fragment the Satpura-Maikal landscape of central India which is one of the largest natural habitat of tigers in the world, he added. The proposed coal mines would impede gene flow and impact the future of species. It is important to conserve a whole landscape, rather than piecemeal protected areas, to ensure a better chance for long-term persistence of these and other species, he stressed.
Gopal Thosar, conservationist from Maharashtra, pointed out that though underground mining was less harmful than opencast, it does not totally rule out the risk. Though the project proponents may claim to use the latest technology to mitigate the loss, but such norms are seldom abided by.
The sources in MoEF, however, clarified “a boundary of the migratory corridor between Pench and Satpura reserve has already been drawn up and Brahmpuri coal block is not within this said migratory corridor”.
They further added that proposals undertaking mining in any of the coal blocks located in this region will be decided on their merit and if approved it will be with additional condition that the user agency will contribute on proportionate basis the amount required for the implementation of the plan as prepared by NTCA for rejuvenating and restocking of the viable corridor.