In October 2024, violent clashes between police and demonstrators occurred as Adani contractors began felling trees for the Parsa coal-mine project in central India. Observers said the police charged the demonstrators with batons. Injuries to police personnel and local villagers resulted.

Coal Block: Parsa

Location: Surguja and Surajpur districts, Chhattisgarh, India

Owner: Rajasthan State Electricity Generation Corporation (RVUN)

Adani company (contractor): Rajasthan Collieries Limited

Coal reserves: 184 million tonnes

Proposed extraction rate: 5 million tonnes per annum

Area of lease: 1252 ha

Forested area of lease: 842 ha

Local population directly impacted: 1464 people

On 17 October 2024, local people opposed to tree-felling for the Parsa coal-mining project in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh clashed with police. Thirteen police personnel and numerous villagers were injured.

Rights to mine the Parsa coal block belong to the Rajasthan State Electricity Generation Corporation (RVUN). An Adani Group company is the ‘mine developer and operator’ (basically, the contractor) for the proposed mine.

The Parsa coal block has reserves of 184 million tons. More than 841 hectares of the area of the total 1252 ha of the coal block comprises forest land. It is expected to adversely impact the livelihoods of at least 1500 people.

Local communities have taken a brave stand against further deforestation of the Hasdeo forests and their villages for exploitation of coal. The Hasdeo forests stretch contiguously for over 180,000 ha in central India.

The clashes that took place on 17 October reportedly resulted in injuries to several local people and 13 police personnel. The Leader of the Opposition in India’s lower house of Parliament, senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, expressed his solidarity with tribal communities following the incident:

‘The attempt to forcibly take away tribal forests and land through the violent use of police force in Hasdeo Aranya is a violation of the fundamental rights of tribals,’ Gandhi posted on X (formerly Twitter).

‘During the Congress government in Chhattisgarh, a proposal to not cut the Hasdeo forest was passed unanimously in the assembly – ‘unanimous’ means the collective consent of the opposition, that is, the then BJP! But, after coming to power, they neither remembered this proposal nor the pain and rights of these original residents of Hasdeo.

‘The 'anti-Bahujan [anti-diversity] BJP' is ready to cause terrible harm to the common citizens and the environment for the sake of its own and its friends' interests. Today, in BJP-ruled states across the country, tribal rights are being constantly attacked through similar tactics and conspiracies. Congress will protect the water, forests and land of our tribal brothers and sisters at all costs.’