Rajasthan: In-principle clearance for coal block in Hasdeo-Arand

The Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change granted Stage-I (in-principle) clearance for diversion of ap...

What Happened

The Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change granted Stage-I (in-principle) clearance for diversion of approximately 1,742.6 hectares of dense forest land in the Hasdeo-Arand region for the Kente Extension Opencast Coal Block.
The coal block is allocated to Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Limited (RRVUNL), a state-owned power utility of Rajasthan, with Adani Enterprises as the mine developer and operator.
The clearance involves the felling of approximately 4.5 lakh trees, making it one of the largest single forest diversions proposed in recent years.
The Kente Extension block is the third Adani-operated mine proposed inside the Hasdeo-Arand coalfield, which spans approximately 1,70,000 hectares across Korba, Surajpur, and Surguja districts of Chhattisgarh.
Tribal communities, forest rights activists, and the Chhattisgarh State Scheduled Tribes Commission have raised objections, citing irregularities in Gram Sabha consent processes and alleged forging of signatures in the adjacent Parsa coal block.

Static Topic Bridges

Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 and the Two-Stage Clearance Process

The Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 (FCA) prohibits the use of forest land for non-forestry purposes without prior approval of the Central Government. For mining proposals, clearance is granted in two stages. Stage-I (in-principle clearance) stipulates conditions including compensatory afforestation and payment of Net Present Value (NPV) of the forest. Stage-II (final diversion order) is issued only after the state government demonstrates compliance with Stage-I conditions.

Stage-I does not permit commencement of mining in forested areas; mining in non-forest parts of the block may be allowed only with state government permission after Stage-I.
Net Present Value (NPV) must be deposited in the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) before Stage-II approval.
The Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) is the statutory body constituted under the FCA to examine forest diversion proposals before recommending clearance to the Ministry.

Connection to this news: The current clearance is only Stage-I, meaning final tree-felling and mining cannot begin until the state fulfils all conditions and obtains Stage-II approval — a process that remains contested by tribal communities and civil society.

The Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 (PESA) extends the provisions of Part IX of the Constitution (relating to Panchayati Raj) to Fifth Schedule areas with modifications that recognise tribal self-governance. Under Section 4(e) of PESA, Gram Sabhas in Scheduled Areas have the authority to manage community resources, safeguard cultural identity, and must be consulted before land acquisition or mining in their jurisdiction.

Hasdeo-Arand falls within Fifth Schedule areas of Chhattisgarh, making PESA and the Forest Rights Act, 2006 both applicable.
The Forest Rights Act, 2006 (FRA) requires that Community Forest Rights (CFRs) must be settled and Gram Sabha consent obtained before any forest diversion in tribal areas.
Mandatory consent from tribal Gram Sabhas, required under both PESA and the FRA, has been alleged to have been bypassed in the current clearance process.
The Chhattisgarh State Scheduled Tribes Commission found irregularities including forged Gram Sabha consents in the adjacent Parsa coal block.

Connection to this news: The legal legitimacy of the Stage-I clearance is under challenge precisely because PESA and FRA require free, prior, and informed consent from tribal Gram Sabhas — a requirement that environmental and tribal rights groups allege has not been properly fulfilled.

Hasdeo-Arand Coalfield: Energy Security vs. Ecological Value

The Hasdeo-Arand coalfield is estimated to hold approximately 5.179 billion tonnes of coal reserves and is spread across 23 coal blocks. It is simultaneously one of the most ecologically sensitive forest landscapes in Central India. The Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change had declared the entire Hasdeo-Arand region a "no-go" zone for coal mining in 2010 because of its ecological sensitivity — a designation that has progressively been eroded through individual block clearances.

Hasdeo-Arand is the largest unfragmented forest landscape in Central India outside the Protected Area system.
The forest hosts nine Schedule-I species (Wildlife Protection Act, 1972) including elephants, leopards, and sloth bears.
A critical elephant corridor connecting Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh runs through the region; the Kente Extension block is approximately 3.6 km from the Lemru elephant corridor.
The region's forests are dominated by Sal (Shorea robusta), a high-value timber and ecologically keystone species.

Connection to this news: The clearance revives the fundamental tension in Indian environmental governance between energy security imperatives (coal for state power utilities) and biodiversity conservation obligations — a recurring UPSC Mains theme on sustainable development and environmental federalism.

Fifth Schedule and Tribal Governance Framework

The Fifth Schedule of the Constitution (Article 244) provides for special governance arrangements in tribal-majority areas designated as Scheduled Areas. The Governor of the state has special powers to adapt or rescind Central or state laws in these areas. The Tribes Advisory Council (TAC) advises the Governor on tribal welfare. PESA, 1996 operationalises grassroots tribal self-governance through empowered Gram Sabhas.

Scheduled Areas in India cover parts of ten states including Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and others.
The Sixth Schedule (Article 244(2)) provides a different framework for tribal areas of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram through Autonomous District Councils.
Governors of Fifth Schedule states have the power under the Fifth Schedule to direct that any particular Act of Parliament or the Legislature of the State shall not apply to a Scheduled Area or shall apply with modifications.

Connection to this news: The Hasdeo controversy is a test case of how effectively Fifth Schedule protections and PESA operate when they conflict with national energy policy, making it directly relevant to UPSC Mains questions on tribal rights, constitutional protections, and governance.

Key Facts & Data

Area of Hasdeo-Arand coalfield: approximately 1,879.6 sq km (1,70,000 hectares)
Estimated coal reserves: 5.179 billion tonnes
Forest area proposed for diversion (Kente Extension): 1,742.6 hectares
Trees to be felled: approximately 4.5 lakh
Allocated to: Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Limited (RRVUNL)
Mine developer/operator: Adani Enterprises
"No-go" zone designation: Ministry of Environment declared Hasdeo-Arand a no-go zone in 2010
Applicable laws: Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980; Forest Rights Act, 2006; PESA, 1996; Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 (Schedule I species)
Applicable Schedule: Fifth Schedule of the Constitution (Scheduled Area)
Distance from Lemru elephant corridor: approximately 3.6 km