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Ambition to build the world’s second largest coal mine in India

The state of West Bengal, in eastern India, wants to build the world’s second largest coal mine, but the project faces opposition from both local and international.

Harinsingha village, Birbhum district, is the center of West Bengal state government’s ambitious plan to expand the country’s coal reserves. The project is expected to displace more than 21,000 local people, mostly tribal people.

Mamata Banerjee, Premier of West Bengal, in 2021 announced a compensation package of 100 billion rupees ($1.3 billion), nearly a third of the total project budget of 350 billion rupees ($4.6 billion), to those who are eligible. request relocation to clear the ground for construction of Deocha-Pachami coal mine.

According to Ms. Banerjee, this project will create the largest coal mine in India, the second largest in the world with an estimated reserve of 1.19 billion tons of coal, creating a supply in the next 100 years.





Indian workers collect coal at a mine in Dhanbad in the eastern Indian state of Jharkhand in December 2017.  Photo: AFP.

Workers at a coal mine in Dhanbad, Jharkhand state, eastern India in December 2017. Image: AFP.

The government of India has handed over the management of the above coal reserves to the West Bengal government in 2018. “The project will create 100,000 jobs, which can solve the unemployment problem,” Ms. Banerjee stated at the time, while emphasizing her Trinamool Congress (TMC) party will not use force to displace villagers.

“We will set a model for India to carry out big projects like the Deocha-Pachami mine. The mine will be rolled out in phases, applying the most advanced mining methods over a period of time. certain, with the full support of the public,” Premier Banerjee confirmed on Twitter.

The mining project has a total area of ​​​​about 12.28 km2, including two zones, Deocha Pachami and Dewanganj Harinsinga, spread across 12 villages in the Mohammad Bazar area and the neighboring jungle in Birbhum district, West Bengal. The government owns more than 400 hectares of land, of which 120 hectares are dense forests.

The local government has begun land acquisition work in the Dewanganj Harinsinga mine area, leaving local residents worried about facing an uncertain future.

Joseph Marandi, in his 20s, mayor of Harinshingha village, insists that all residents will decide together whether they should hand over land to the government.

“We have attended many meetings with local leaders and government officials. We will make a decision if they commit to fulfill the demands raised by the villagers,” said village chief Marandi. “Whatever we decide, the villagers will be unanimous.”

Under the compensation package announced in February, the West Bengal government agreed to pay “double market value” per bigha of land to 1.3 million rupees ($17,000). Bigha is the traditional unit of land measurement in India, but each state has a different definition of bigha. In West Bengal, one bigha equals 1,337 square meters.

The package also increases house compensation to 700,000 rupees ($9,145), enough for each family to build a new 65 square meter house. One member from each family that agreed to relocate was also assigned to the Bengal police force, which is believed to be stable.

In addition, the state also has a compensation policy for those who work in the displaced area. Stone crushers will receive 50,000 rupees ($653) plus 10,000 rupees ($130) a month for a year. The farmers will receive 50,000 rupees ($653) and 500 working days.

However, Rana Murmu, 34, a worker at the quarry, says these commitments are not enough. Most of the people in the village look to quarries for their livelihood due to the barren natural conditions, the geology in this area has a low water holding capacity. They don’t have many alternative career options.

“Our ancestors were born and raised in this house. How can we blindly trust anyone and leave our homes and lands?”, Murmu said. “They guarantee a state job, so what will my wife do?”

Chuttur Tutu, about 60 years old, who lives in Dewanhanj village, said he has been growing broccoli on rented land for several months and engaged in stone crushing for an income of 200-300 rupees ($2.7-$4) a day. He considers himself incapable of receiving any compensation because he is not the owner of the land.

“A supposedly stable job won’t be enough to support my family,” added Tutu, the breadwinner of 14.

Sumita Tudu, a member of the village council, said villagers rejected the initial proposal and asked the government to amend the compensation offer. “We are waiting for action from the authorities,” Tudu said. “The thought of losing everything in a flash is terrifying. How can they assume we’re ready to leave immediately?”





Sumita Tudu in Dewwanganj village, Birbhum district, West Bengal state, eastern India.  Photo: The Independent.

Sumita Tudu in Dewwanganj village, Birbhum district, West Bengal state, eastern India last month. Image: Independent.

In addition to opposition from local people, the project also faced international criticism, including the UK and Germany. These two countries expressed concern about the environmental impact in the context of global efforts to convert energy, limit the use of fossil fuels.

The announcement of the project in West Bengal comes after the COP26 climate change summit taking place in Glasgow, Scotland, from October 31 to November 12, 2021. During the conference, the UK, the US and the European Union (EU) pledged to bring net emissions to zero by 2050. India, one of the biggest coal consumers, also announced a 2070 carbon neutral target. .

“We feel uncomfortable after studying the planned development of the world’s second largest coal mine in Bengal in the past few weeks,” said Nick Low, British deputy high commissioner in Kolkata, the capital of Western state. Bengal, said. “We did not discuss this issue thoroughly during COP26,” Manfred Auster, Germany’s Consul General in West Bengal, shared similar concerns.

According to a report by the International Energy Agency (IEA), 70% of electricity production in India comes from coal consumption, which is likely to increase to 1.18 billion tons by 2024. Although India cannot quickly limit it Depending on coal, coal mining in West Bengal will certainly affect the goal of reducing global emissions.

Sandeep Pai, senior associate of the Climate Change and Energy Security Program, said India is de facto still a developing country and there are reasons to go ahead with the project. “Millions of Indians currently live without electricity. With this level of demand, India will continue to depend on coal in the future to provide electricity for its citizens,” Mr. Pai said.

The project was also opposed by opposition parties, turning the Deocha-Pachami area into a political flashpoint. Some opposition politicians came to protest with local people. The West Bengal government more than once dispatched the police to disperse the protests.

“We cannot sit here and watch the government blatantly encroach on the environment, taking land from indigenous peoples to make money,” commented Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya, an opposition senator. “The government offers too little compensation. This forest is the source of life for local people, how can they watch everything burn down?”.

Rabin Soren, one of the most influential tribal leaders in the area, acted as a mediator between the government and the local population. “People were terrified,” Mr Soren said.

“I am not against the project, but how will many people without land records be compensated?”, Soren expressed. “They offered a position as a police officer in each family, what about the other members? The relocation is also not simple because we have our own culture and religion attached to the villages.”

Soren said the villagers were not satisfied with the compensation, they asked the government to pledge to increase the number of jobs, along with an amount of 1.5 million rupees (about 19,600 USD) for each bigha of land. “The official map of the project includes 12 villages, but in reality the entire project will affect at least 18 villages in the area,” Soren said.

He said that the land acquisition process will “take place for a long time”, adding that mining will be difficult due to the thick soil layer and hard basalt.





Two children head to their former home, now fenced off for coal mining in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal.  Photo: Mongabay.

Two children look at their former home, fenced off for coal mining in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal last year. Image: Mongabay.

To reassure protesters, officials said the government would hold vocational training camps on engines, welding techniques, handling small equipment and teaching how to drive heavy vehicles. Bidhan Ray, magistrate of Birbhum district, West Bengal, said there are currently 1,600 families agreeing to the compensation offer from the authorities.

However, this claim was also rejected by the locals. They argue that officials are spreading misinformation to encourage more people to give up land in exchange for an uncertain future.

Duc Trung (According to Independent)

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