August, 2025: Centre clears diversion of 109 hectares of forest land for West Bengal coal mine, 629 families to be rehabilitated
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Dear friends,
Johar!
The rapid expansion of mining in India, particularly in coal, uranium, gold, and other critical minerals, reflects a state-driven push to secure energy and strategic resources. State-owned and private companies are being granted large tracts of forest and Adivasi land, as seen in Sundargarh, Dima Hasao (Assam), and Durgapur, often bypassing local consent and raising concerns of dispossession and environmental degradation. The passage of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2025, and the creation of the National Critical Mineral Mission underscore the centrality of minerals for energy security, clean technologies, and economic growth. At the same time, fast-track environmental clearances and massive financial allocations reveal a prioritization of extraction over safeguards.
However, the incessant mining orders come with a parallel surge in human and ecological disasters. The landslide in Hazaribagh that destroyed parts of Babhanbe hill, killing trees and filling quarries, exemplifies the risks of destabilizing fragile ecosystems through quarrying and blasting. Similarly, coal transportation accidents, such as the Sahibganj incident where a man was killed by a speeding coal truck, highlight how mining-induced road traffic and inadequate regulation directly endanger local lives. Both disasters expose how extractive operations extend beyond mines, reshaping landscapes and roadways, intensifying vulnerabilities.
Further, corruption in approvals, fake Gram Sabha documents, and violent intimidation of journalists reveal how mining is pushed through undemocratic and deceptive means, silencing local communities and watchdogs. The diversion of protected forests, displacement of hundreds of families, and disregard for constitutional protections in scheduled areas deepen social costs.
Amidst relentless mining approvals, resistance and ecological safeguards provide hope. The Centre withheld clearance for Hindalco’s bauxite mine in the eco-sensitive Western Ghats, tribal collectives like Muthuva Sanghamam revived mass mobilization, and Adivasis of Nagarahole asserted ancestral rights—signifying growing people’s resistance and cautious state recognition of ecological concerns.
We call for expressions of solidarity to strengthen collective action by joining hands with larger civil society and peoples’ movements. Contributions from youth, activists and affected persons are much welcome and encouraged for publication here. We welcome suggestions and feedback.
Thank you.
Compilation: Deepti Mary Minj
Design: Akriti Karishma Lakra
Edited by: Antony, PM
justiceinminingnetwork@gmail.com
Land Acquisition
1. OCPL bags first commercial coal block in Sundargarh
State-owned Odisha Coal and Power Limited (OCPL) has bagged the Tangardihi North coal block in Sundargarh district in the 12th tranche of auctions conducted by the Ministry of Coal on 22 August. OCPL already has two coal blocks, Manoharpur and Dip Side of Manoharpur, with a combined net geological reserve of 978.470 MT and a mineable reserve of 664.239 MT. The two blocks are dedicated to the Ib thermal power stations (2x210MW + 2x660MW) of Odisha Power Generation Corporation Limited (OPGC) at Banharipali in Jharsuguda district. The present production capacity from Manoharpur is 16 million tonne.
2. Hindustan Zinc to expand into uranium mining if government allows, CEO says
Hindustan Zinc, India’s top refined zinc producer, will aim to expand into uranium mining if the government opens the sector to private players, its chief executive Arun Misra told Reuters on 19 August. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government plans to expand nuclear power production capacity 12-fold by 2047. The state has historically maintained tight control over the sector due to concerns about safety, strategic security and the potential misuse of nuclear materials.
3. Rajya Sabha passes critical minerals bill; Rs 32,000 crore allotted for exploration outside India
The Rajya Sabha passed The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2025 by voice vote on August 19, 2025. The bill seeks to boost the supply of critical and deep-seated minerals, and relax the regime for mineral conservation, zero waste management and extraction of strategic minerals. Under the National Critical Mineral Mission, the Govt. is set to invest around Rs 32,000 crore to strengthen the supply chain of Critical Minerals.
Recent Geological Survey of India (GSI) explorations in Odisha have uncovered significant gold deposits across at least four key districts. While exact quantity remains unconfirmed, preliminary geological indicators suggest a potential of 10–20 metric tonnes. The discovery has prompted rapid government action, with a historic gold block auction already in the works. Gold deposits have been confirmed in Deogarh (Adasa-Rampalli), Sundargarh, Nabarangpur, Keonjhar, Angul, and Koraput, and exploratory work is underway in Mayurbhanj, Malkangiri, Sambalpur, and Boudh.
5. Faster approvals for critical minerals, but no green law exemption: Centre
The Environment Ministry has set up a separate category on its online clearance portal to speed up approvals for mining projects involving critical minerals, a move aimed at boosting domestic supply of resources considered essential for clean energy and advanced technologies, the government informed Parliament on 18 August. So far, 34 blocks of these minerals have been auctioned across the country.
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| Gauhati High Court, PTI |
The Gauhati high court recently expressed shock over the fact that nearly 3000 bighas of land were given to a private cement company – Mahabal Cements – for mining in the tribal district of Dima Hasao in Assam, Bar and Bench reported. It also noted that the Dima Hasao is a 6th scheduled district under the Indian constitution and priority has to be given to the rights and interests of the tribal people residing there. Umrangso, the area in Dima Hasao where the mining project was planned, is an environmental hotspot owing to its hot springs and a stopover for migratory birds and wildlife, the court recorded and ordered the North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council (NCHAC) to obtain and submit the records regarding the policy of allotting the land to Mahabal Cements.
7. Centre clears diversion of 109 hectares of forest land for West Bengal coal mine, 629 families to be rehabilitated
The Centre has given in-principle approval for diversion of 109.459 hectares of protected forest land in West Bengal's Durgapur Forest Division for the Gourangdih ABC Coal Mine, a project which involves the rehabilitation of 629 families. by the West Bengal Mineral Development and Trading Corporation Ltd (WBMDTCL), the Gourangdih ABC Coal Mine spans 356.575 hectares, of which 109.459 hectares are forest land.
8. How To Destroy Heaven: Police Violence in Barkagaon
9. Villagers demanded action in the fake Gram Sabha proposal case of Mahagenco Sector 2
A group of villagers from the affected village reached the Collectorate on 9 August regarding the fake Gram Sabha documents submitted by Maharashtra Power Generation Company for Gare Palma Sector 2. The villagers applied along with an affidavit and demanded action from the Collector. The villagers who reached the District Magistrate's office in Raigarh said that whatever has been done from tree felling till now has been done through the same fake Gram Sabha document.
10. Adani company's henchmen threatened to kill journalists
The latest example of the heights to which a company can stoop to open a coal mine was seen outside the District Magistrate's office on 6 August’s afternoon when journalists were threatened with death by the henchmen of the Adani company. This has happened for the first time in Raigarh district that the employees-goons of a company threatened to kill the journalists and called them goons, that too in broad daylight in front of the District Collector's office, amidst tight police security. The victim journalists have lodged a written complaint in this regard at the Chakradhar Nagar police station and have demanded strict action against the accused from the police.
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| A part of Babhanbe hill landslided into a closed stone quarry |
A major landslide occurred on 11 August in Babhanbe hill under Muffasil police station area of Hazaribagh Sadar block. Due to torrential rain, about 10 thousand square feet of the hill slid and fell down. The debris of the landslide fell into a closed stone mine located at the foot of the hill. This filled three-fourth of the 50 feet deep mine. The height of the Masipadhi mountain is about 200 meters from the ground and the landslide occurred from a height of five hundred feet. During this, about 300 trees were destroyed.
59-year-old Keshal Lal Dehri died on the spot in a tragic accident on 4 August near Chandni Chowk under Kathikund police station area on Sahibganj-Govindpur main road. When he was climbing the main road from the unpaved road going from Kathikund to Chandni Chowk, a truck returning from Dumka after unloading coal hit him. The truck coming at a high speed dragged him for about 50 meters after hitting him, due to which he died on the spot.
Silver Lining
13. Eco-sensitive Western Ghats: Centre’s forest panel declines final nod for Hindalco’s mine in KolhapurThe Environment Ministry’s Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) has, for now, declined Stage-II or final approval for Hindalco Industries Ltd’s bauxite mine in Maharashtra’s Kolhapur, as it falls under the eco-sensitive areas (ESA) of the Western Ghats, according to the minutes of the FAC meeting. The mining project was granted in-principle forest approval in 2009 and environmental clearance from the Centre in January 2014. However, since the company had not obtained the Rights of Forest Resources certificate, it got delayed in seeking final approval for the forest diversion of about 16 hectares.
For decades, the Muthuvan tribal community, spread across the forested high ranges of Idukki, Thrissur, Ernakulam, Palakkad, and the Kerala–Tamil Nadu border, had the will to demand their rights. The impact of people’s movement was on full display at Muthuva Sanghamam 2025, a three-day gathering at Chembakathozhukudi in Chinnakkanal that concluded on 10 August. The Sangham’s intervention was allegedly pivotal in prompting the Tamil Nadu government to order a judicial inquiry into the suspicious death of a 58-year-old tribal man from Suryanelli at the Udumalpet forest range office.
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| About 100 Adivasis living in 26 haadis in three districts in Karnataka asserted their historical right to the Nagarahole forests and erects a sign board (on the right) declaring: 'You are now entering Adivasi ancestral land'| Source: Anisha Sheth |
On World Indigenous Peoples Day, the Adivasis of the Nagarahole forests staged a protest demanding recognition of their claims to the forest under the Forest Rights Act. The two-day protest, which started on August 9, is the continuation of the tribal communities’ assertion of their rights, which has gained momentum since May, when 52 families of Karadikallu Attur Kolli village announced their intention to reoccupy ancestral lands in the Nagarahole forests that they were evicted from around 40 years ago.
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