Aaditya opposes mining near Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve

The stand-off between the Maha Vikas Aghadi Government and the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre seems inevitable on inclusion of Bander coal blocks situated near Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve in the Vidarbha region in the proposed auction for commercial mining.

The Tourism and Environment Minister Aaditya Thackeray has strongly opposed development of these blocks fearing adverse impact on the local population and also on the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve. Bander coal blocks were part of 41 coal blocks whose auction process for commercial mining was launched last week by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In a letter to the Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar, Aaditya has urged the government to reconsider the decision in a serious bid to protect the area.

Aaditya’s concerns are that over 1,200 hectares of rich forest land will have to be diverted if commercial mining is allowed. Incidentally, Bandar falls on the route used by tigers to disperse from Tadoba to Bor Tiger Reserve in Wardha district and Melghat Tiger Reserve in Amravati district.

‘’We cannot have such destruction of our wildlife corridors. Twice before, once in 1999 and then around 2011, the action was scrapped after evaluation, Then why once again must we waste time and energy over a futile process when we know that it will destroy the wildlife corridor of Tadoba and Andhari,’’ he said.

He further stated that almost a decade ago, the then Union Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh had stopped this destruction. ‘’He (Jairam Ramesh) had got the area surveyed and reports suggest that the mine site is not suitable at all. I urge the Union Minister to protect this area again,’’ he noted.

The Bander coal blocks fall in Chimur tehsil under Brahmapuri forest division. These blocks were awarded for mining to Bander Coal Company but it could not commence mining after rejection by the local forest division. Earlier, in 1999, the Environment Ministry had denied permission for mining, citing that it may have an adverse impact on wildlife.