Ajay Roy
Many people are actively opposing the coal mine project at Deocha-Pachami-Dewanganj-Harinsinga in India. Tribals are staging demonstrations. But the despotic Trinamool Congress regime is trying to suppress the mass-movement with police force. The administration is threatening local-residents. False cases are also registered against agitators. Recently women also faced police atrocities at Dewanganj.
Deocha-Pachami-Dewanganj-Harinsinga coal block is in the Birbhum district of West Bengal. It has 2,102 million tonnes of coal reserves.[1] Deocha-Pachami is dubbed as the world's second-largest coal mine. The project will span around 3.04 lac acre land. Nearly 21,000 people live there and among them, 9,034 are Scheduled Tribe.
This coal block has been allotted to the state government's West Bengal Power Development Corporation Ltd (WBPDCL). There is the claim that the mine will generate an estimated 1 lakh employment.[2] West Bengal government also stated that the state government's total investment in the project will be Rupees 35 thousand crores.[3] The chief minister of West Bengal declared a compensation package of Rupees 10 thousand crores for Deucha-Panchami on the last 9th of November. But the local people are in fear of eviction. They complained that the package has been declared undemocratically without any discussion with those who will be affected by this project. According to media reports, local-residents are not in favour of the coal mine.
Many stone quarries and crusher units are operating in this area. A large number of them are unregistered. Illegal mines are also there. So the place is already enough polluted. If the coal mine project has been implemented, water, air and land will be much more polluted. People will be evicted from their houses. Farmers will lose their lands. So peasants, agricultural workers and workers of stone quarries will be deprived of livelihood. Indigenous people will be uprooted from their traditional pasture. If the forest has been destroyed, tribal will lose the scope to make a living by gathering forest resources.
The proposed coal mine will permanently destroy the environment of Deocha-Pachami and its surrounding vast area. This region is already facing a water crisis. The groundwater level will go farther down. Localities will be wiped out and farmland will be ruined. Jungle, biodiversity, as well as rivers and water bodies, will be destroyed. Local culture will also be demolished.
According to geologists, here coal deposits are at great depth. There is also a huge layer of basaltic rocks over it. So coal mining will be hard and expensive. It is not possible by using Indian technology. Other than West Bengal, Karnataka, Bihar, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Ltd (SJVNL) was also given the responsibility of the project previously. But they did not show further interest. For necessary mining technology, the state government will have to undertake a public-private partnership model here. It will pave the path for a corporate robbery of national resources and massive corruption.
It is noteworthy that in Deocha-Pachami, the government is trying to establish not an underground mine, but an opencast mine. According to some experts, large mechanised arrangements will have to be made here for extracting coal to get profit. So this project will not be labour intensive. But it will generate employment only for a limited number of skilled labourers.
An adequate number of surveys on Deocha-Pachami coal mine have not been conducted yet. So various quarters have expressed doubts about the scientific and factual basis of the mining plan. It lacks transparency. There have been allegations that conspiracy is going on for land grabbing by evicting tribes in the name of coal mining; and it is paving the way for corporate plunder of ‘jal’, ‘jungle’ and ‘jameen’ (water, forest and land).
The administration is cracking down on the protest movement against the proposed coal mine. Misleading propaganda is being conducted. A conspiracy is also going on to create division in the movement. Birbhum Adivasi Gaonta, an apolitical tribal organisation has already been divided into two groups.
Meanwhile, it is noteworthy that there is no socio-economic development of general people in various coal mine areas. On the contrary, their condition is deplorable. Pollution has increased disease and death. Agricultural land is being destroyed by coal dust. In some places, the evicted people did not get any compensation or rehabilitation at all. The people's right to food, work and life have been attacked. Coal mafias are also active in various areas. There are problems of landslides, gas, fires and deaths in illegal mines.
Due to global warming and climate change, scientists around the world are now emphasizing the use of renewable energy instead of fossil fuels. But the Modi government has allowed 100 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI) in the coal sector. This step of neo-liberal reform has paved the way for privatization in the coal industry. The state government is also moving towards building a coal mine in Deocha-Pachami in a joint venture with the private sector. According to some political analysts, the main objective of the government is to get political gain by making baseless promises of employment generation in this mine.
For the actual development of the general people in Deocha-Pachami, following a pro-people alternative path is necessary. Provision of Irrigation system, development of agriculture as well as an increase of animal husbandry and afforestation are required. Closing unauthorized stone quarries and crusher units and protecting the environment is urgent. Emphasis should be put on the use of clean and renewable energy such as solar power and environment-friendly industrialization. According to some experts, this can lead to employment generation and sustainable development.
03/01/2022
Notes.
[1] "Mamata announces Rs 10,000-crore compensation package", November 10, 2021, The Indian Express
[2] Ibid
[3] Ibid
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