Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav revealed in a Rajya Sabha session on December 5 that 94,460 trees have been felled in the Parsa East Kete Basen (PEKB) mining area, located within the Hasdeo forest region of Chhattisgarh. This disclosure was made in response to a query by CPI MP P. P. Suneer regarding mining activities and their environmental consequences.
According to Yadav, 53,40,586 trees have been planted under compensatory afforestation, mine reclamation, and translocation initiatives. However, the government also indicated that 2,73,757 additional trees are slated to be cut in the Hasdeo region for future mining activities.
Responding to concerns about the recommendations from the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) on mining in the PEKB area, Yadav acknowledged that WII had flagged the potential for increased human-animal conflicts due to habitat disturbances caused by mining expansion.
