Why is there stiff opposition to the auction of Tara Coal Block in Chhattisgarh? Explained
The Tara coal block in Chhattisgarh's Hasdeo Aranya (Hasdeo Arand) forest region was put up for auction under the competitive-bidding coal block allocation process
Civil society groups, including the Chhattisgarh Bachao Andolan (CBA), opposed the auction, arguing that communities in the Hasdeo region have protected these forests for generations and that the area should not be treated as an expendable coal reserve
The state mineral development agency clarified that the auction alone does not authorise mining — the successful bidder must still separately obtain a mining plan, mining lease, and forest and environmental clearances before any mining activity can begin
The coal block's boundary was reported to have been revised to exclude the influence zone of the proposed Lemru Elephant Reserve before the auction was conducted
Forest Rights Act, 2006 and Gram Sabha Consent
The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 (FRA) recognises individual forest rights (IFR) and community forest resource (CFR) rights of forest-dwelling communities, and requires gram sabha consent before forest land is diverted for non-forest use in Scheduled Areas. This consent requirement is reinforced by the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 (PESA), under which gram sabhas have the power to approve or reject development projects and manage community resources including forests.
Key Details
- FRA, 2006 covers both Scheduled Tribes and "other traditional forest dwellers" who have resided in forests for at least three generations (75 years) prior to 13 December 2005
- Under Section 4(e) of PESA, 1996, gram sabhas in Fifth Schedule areas must be consulted before land acquisition and resettlement for development projects
- Allegations of forged or coerced gram sabha consent have previously been raised regarding forest clearances for adjacent Hasdeo coal blocks (e.g., Parsa and Parsa East–Kete Basan), including findings by the Chhattisgarh State Scheduled Tribes Commission
- Hasdeo Aranya falls within the catchment of the Hasdeo river and the Minimata Bango Dam, a key water source for several Chhattisgarh districts, adding a water-security dimension to the forest-diversion debate
Opposition to the Tara auction draws directly on the FRA/PESA framework — objectors argue that community consent and forest-dependent livelihoods must be settled before, not after, a coal block is auctioned, since post-auction clearances are procedurally harder to reverse.
Commercial Coal Mining Auctions under the MMDR Act (as amended 2020)
Coal block allocation in India moved from a nomination-based and captive-use system to a fully competitive auction process for commercial mining, following the Mineral Laws (Amendment) Act, 2020, which amended both the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 (MMDR Act) and the Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Act, 2015. This reform removed end-use restrictions, allowing bidders to mine coal for sale on the open market rather than only for a specified plant.
Key Details
- The Ministry of Coal launched commercial coal mining auctions in June 2020 (11th tranche under the CMSP Act, 2015 and 1st tranche under the MMDR Act, 1957)
- The 2020 amendment removed the requirement of prior coal mining experience for bidders, widening eligible participation, including for companies without existing India coal operations
- Auction of a coal block is only the allocation stage; statutory forest clearance (under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980) and environmental clearance (under the EIA Notification, 2006) remain mandatory prerequisites before mining can commence
- Coal blocks in the Hasdeo Aranya region were originally excluded from mining in a 2010 "no-go" classification by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, a classification later diluted through subsequent clearances
The auction of the Tara block is a procedural allocation step under this post-2020 commercial mining regime; the substantive environmental and forest-rights battle, as with earlier Hasdeo blocks, will be fought at the subsequent clearance stage.
Protected Area Planning: The Lemru Elephant Reserve
Elephant reserves are a non-statutory conservation category declared by state governments under the Project Elephant scheme (launched 1992, administered by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change) to secure elephant corridors and reduce human-elephant conflict, distinct from statutory Protected Areas (National Parks/Wildlife Sanctuaries) under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
Key Details
- The Lemru Elephant Reserve in Chhattisgarh was first proposed in 2007 to address rising human-elephant conflict linked to habitat loss from coal mining in the Hasdeo-Korba belt, but has not been formally notified
- Because elephant reserves are not declared under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, they lack the same statutory protection against mining diversion that a Wildlife Sanctuary or National Park would have
- The reserve's proposed boundary has reportedly been revised over time to exclude coal-bearing areas, including in relation to blocks such as Tara, reducing the area under conservation planning
- Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) are listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and as "Endangered" on the IUCN Red List
Because the Lemru reserve was never statutorily notified, redrawing its boundary to exclude the Tara block's "influence zone" required no formal denotification process, illustrating a broader gap between announced conservation intent and enforceable legal protection.
- Coal block: Tara, Hasdeo Aranya (Hasdeo Arand) region, Chhattisgarh
- Allocation route: competitive auction under the MMDR Act, 1957 (as amended by the Mineral Laws (Amendment) Act, 2020) / Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Act, 2015
- FRA, 2006 cut-off for traditional forest dweller eligibility: residence for at least three generations (75 years) prior to 13 December 2005
- Lemru Elephant Reserve first proposed: 2007; not yet formally notified
- Asian elephant conservation status: Schedule I (Wildlife Protection Act, 1972); IUCN Red List — Endangered
- Six coal blocks have previously been allocated in the wider Hasdeo Aranya region, with mining operational at two (Parsa East–Kete Basan and Chotia I & II)