NGT bans cutting of trees for Diamond Mine Project

Bhopal: Bhopal’s National Green Tribunal (NGT) bench has directed the Madhya Pradesh government to ensure that no trees are cut down without the forest department’s approval at Buxawaha in Chhatarpur district for diamond mining, according to an interim order released on Thursday.

Further, the NGT bench consisting of judicial member Justice Sheo Kumar Singh and expert member Kumar Verma has directed the applicant in the case to upload copies of the plea and relevant documents on the NGT website in the evening, as per the order of June 26. An individual from Jabalpur and a lawyer have filed a petition in opposition to the diamond mine project in Buxawaha on environmental grounds with the NGT in Bhopal. The Central and Madhya Pradesh governments, as well as a private mining company, have been named respondents in both petitions.

‘Principal Chief Conservator of Forest, Madhya Pradesh shall ensure that there should not be any cutting of trees without forest clearance,’ the order read.

‘The applicant is directed to provide a copy of the application and relevant document to the respondents. The respondents may file their reply, affidavit within four weeks by email preferably in the form of Image PDF, OCR support PDF and not in form of Image PDF,’ the bench said.

The petition claimed that the proposed project will wreck the environment of the area and that the grant of mining lease by the state government in 2019 was in violation of laws.

‘The issue raised in this application is the grant of mining lease over 364 hectares area in Buxawaha protected forest area, Sogoriya village, Buxawaha Tehsil, Chhatarpur district in MP to Essels Mining Industries Limited, vide a letter of intent issued by the MP government dated 19.12.2019, resulting in environmental damage in violation of environment laws,’ the bench said.

The petition also claims that the project will destroy about 4 lakh trees and adversely affect thousands of tribals living in the forest.

‘Learned counsel appearing for the applicant argued that if the project in the question of open mining of diamond by way of cutting the lakhs of trees and deforestation is continued, it may adversely affect and cause deforestation, elimination of about 4 lakh trees, and thousands of tribal living in this forest will be pushed into poverty,’ the NGT said.

‘Learned counsel appearing for respondent number 4 (Essels Mining Industries Ltd) has submitted that they had filed affidavit just yesterday evening but that is not available on record,’ the bench said.