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Forest is god’s gift. Everyone species know the importance of the forest and wildlife.
It provides shelter to thousands of species. Tribal people consider the forest as their home. But Buxwaha forest is in danger and edge of extinction.
Buxwaha forest in Madaya Pradesh near Chhatarpur district being verge of exploitation. Madya Pradesh government has permitted the mining of diamonds.
The project name is the Bunder project. Because the place where mining starts there is a huge population of monkeys resides.
It is estimated the nearly there are 3.4 million carats of diamond under the Buxwaha forest.
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Aditya Birla company took the diamond mining project
The contract is in the hand of Aditya Birla Company. While this contract is worth 55,000 crores.
Madhya Pradesh government shares the income from mining. So, the government would receive 42% of the shares of the mine. As a result, the government expects 1,550 crores extra financial revenue.
According to estimation, around 215,875 trees will be cut to facilitate mining. Moreover, it will become a threat for tribal people residing for centuries.
Environmental activist, Ranveer Pateria considers it has chaos. Then he explains the cruel outcome of mining.
Tribal people’s financial income is purely dependent on forest products. If the mining takes place their livelihood would be entirely damaged.
The concern is all about 7000 tribal population. Their life will be miserable if the Bunder project progress.
Now, Public Interest Litigation filed against the mining. Recently, around 1.1 million people took to Twitter to protest against mining.
The present issue, describing that Aditya Birla Company demanding extra 383 hectares of land. Because the land will be used to dump debris. The extension makes the Buxwaha forest a dump yard.
According to reports, mining will start in 2022. So this raises concerns over the Buxwaha forest.
The region in Bundelkhand is the water drone region. If mining start there affects the residence very badly. There might be soon a scarcity of water. So a lot of harms causes if the project progress.
This is not the first time that Buxwahs forest is in danger. The forest was initially saved against the Rio Tinto company in 2016.
Buxwaha forest and Rio Tinto Company
In 2006 Rio Tinto company found diamond mines in the Buxwaha forest. So it requested the government to allow for the mining.
Finally, in 2010, the Madya Pradesh government permitted the company. With dealing of seeking 10% of the royalty from the mines. So the government gave permission for clearance of 971 hectares of land.
But the project has seen a lot of protests against the company. Even a lot of environmentalists raise their voices against exploitation.
There was serious concern about the depletion of groundwater level Because the project needs nearly 5.9 million liters of water per day.
Shehla Masood, an environment activist wrote a letter to the home minister of India. Also, she registers the complaint in the Select Committee of the Parliament.
She took a major role in the protest. But she was murdered in the daylight on 16 August 2011. According to speculation, there might be involvement of Riyo Tinto company and diamond mafia.
Finally, the case shifts to the hands of CBI. After months of investigation, CBI reports that the case was a part triangle love story.
Further, the Buxwaha forest is in the middle of Panna Tiger Reserve and Navradehi Wildlife Sanctuary. So if the mining takes there will adverse effects on these two sides.
Panna Tiger Reserve covers an area of about 543 sq Km. It is the shelter for a lot of animals.
On the other hand, Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary occupies 1,197 sq km. It is the largest sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh. Besides, it the home for Bengal Tiger, India leopard, hyena, wild dog, golden jackal, and many more species.
So, with the above concerns and to balance wildlife, Forest Committee suspended the project in March 2016.
Even, Rio Tinto after all the efforts finally quits the project in August 2016.
Now still the protest is going on and we want to wait who wins whether the government or Buxwaha forest?