In a controversial move, the State Board for Wildlife in Maharashtra has granted approval for Western Coalfields Limited’s (WCL) Durgapur open cast mine project in a crucial tiger corridor in Chandrapur. The Maharashtra government had earlier recommended to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) the diversion of 80.77 hectares of reserve forest for mining lease renewal under the Van Adhiniyam-1980. WCL has been instructed to allocate Rs. 2.91 crore (2% of the project’s cost of Rs. 845.51 crore) towards wildlife conservation, which will be managed by the Tadoba Foundation.
However, environmentalists and conservationists have condemned this decision. Deepak Dixit, a prominent green crusader from Chandrapur, expressed serious concerns about the project’s impact on tiger ecology, citing extensive deforestation of trees and bamboo, critical habitats for wildlife. Bandu Dhotre, president of the NGO Eco-Pro, highlighted that the proposed site falls within a vital tiger habitat connecting Chaprala Wildlife Sanctuary to Indravati Tiger Reserve. He emphasized that the Chandrapur region, which already faces high levels of human-wildlife conflict, is home to approximately 25 tigers within a 5 km radius of the proposed mining area. “Every inch of forest land matters for these tigers,” said Dhotre, calling for urgent reconsideration of the decision to protect Chandrapur’s endangered wildlife.
