Save the Amazon of North east India (Dehing Patkai Elephant Reserve, Assam)

On April 24, 2020, National Board for Wild Life (NBWL),the apex body to review all wildlife-related matters, has permitted the use of 98.59 hectares of land at Saleki, a part of the Dehing Patkai Elephant Reserve in Assam for opencast coal mining project done by North-Easter Coal Field (NECF), a unit of Coal India Limited. While, the rest of the area may be used for underground coal mining.

Environmentalists in India are criticizing the government's continuous approval of major industrial projects by relaxing environmental norms. The officials are taking advantage of the pandemic by pushing through projects that could further harm the country's natural environment.

The Dehing Patkai Elephant Reserve — of which Saleki is a part — is the largest rainforest in India. It stretches for 575 square kilometres across Tinsukia, Dibrugarh and Sivasagar districts in Upper Assam. This virgin forestland is also referred to as the 'Amazon of the East'. The biodiversity of this forestland is very rich and unique.

Amidst the nationwide lockdown in wake of COVID-19 pandemic, the National Board for Wildlife ( NBWL ) in its 56th meeting held on April 7, 2020 through video conferencing under the chair of the Prakash Javedkar, the Chairman of NBWL and the Minister of Forest, Environment and Climate Change of India approved a coal-mining project in the Saleki proposed reserve forest which is a part of the Dehing Patkai Elephant Reserve. The NBWL's standing committee had discussed the proposal for use of 98.59 hectares of land of Saleki, proposed for a coal mining project by North Eastern Coal Field ( NECF ) — a unit of Coal India Limited— and gave nod to it. The NBWL is under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change ( MoEFCC ). Earlier, the NBWL in its 54th meeting, also constituted a panel with Prof R Sukumar, a member of NBWL as its head to visit the proposed Lekhapani Open Cast Project under the Lekhapani Range of Digboi Forest Division in Tinsukia district. As per the report submitted by the panel, the Standing Committee of NBWL recommended the proposal for broken up area (57.20 hectares) for approval subject to submission of a rectified site specific mine reclamation plan in consultation with the Forest Department of Assam. On the other hand, for the unbroken area (41.39 hectares), the NBWL will consider the matter after the User Agency submits a feasibility report for underground mining and compliance report regarding fulfillment of all other conditions recommended by the NBWL. This recommendation for coal mining in the forest by the NBWL has been strongly opposed by the nature lovers, environmental activists and NGOs.The protestors have opined that while giving recommendation for coal mining in the forest, the NBWL has overlooked the fact that this is a 'Protected Area' and that " it should be conserved and protected from any destructive activities to ensure the country's ecological and environmental security".

Dr Geetendra Singh Dhanawat (Biomentors Classes Online)    Contact the author of the petition