Some of humanity wants to be independent from coal. Moving away from this fuel is vital to meeting CO2 emissions targets, but the problem is that it is too profitable. Coal began to be used by most industrialized countries in 1850, and given that there are other sources of energy, we might think that this percentage is now surplus, but it is not so.

While oil constitutes 30% of the most used fuels, coal comes second on the list with 25%. In fact, there are countries where this is extremely important, which brings us to India. But there is one man who has seemingly taken on a very powerful industry in an attempt to save a forest. And the funny thing is… he won.

more coal. India’s relationship with coal is practically one of dependency. They announced their commitment to reduce their footprint in 2018, but the reality is that three-quarters of the country’s energy comes from coal, oil and natural gas. And 80% of them are coal. It is a vital resource and will continue to be so due to the country’s growing population. This year, unlike many countries, they announced that they will increase their production thanks to coal for at least the next six years.

This was not a surprise, because two years ago it was predicted that the country would consume 40% more coal in 2032 than at that time. For this you need raw materials and therefore minerals.

Hasdeo Aranya. Hasdeo Aranya forest, known as the ‘lung of Chattisgarh’, needs to be mentioned. It is a green area of ​​1,017 square kilometers in the central part of the country, extremely rich in biodiversity. It is also a very rich region in terms of coal and is estimated to have 5.6 billion tons of reserves. This is a very interesting resource for anyone who wants to use it. And of course he has suitors.

Local authorities recognized the forest as a reserve area but never formalized it, and companies such as Adani submitted plans to build mines. Five specifically between 2010 and 1015. They weren’t the only ones, but we’ll get into that later. The problem is that these mines will destroy the beauty of this place but also the biodiversity and its inhabitants, the Adivasi.

Not in my forest. Adivasis are a community that lives without harming that land and you can also find wolves, birds, tigers, elephants or leopards. As we said, there is a huge diversity of flora and fauna in Hasdeo Aranya and not one person allowed mining companies to destroy it.

His name is Alok Shukla and he started working to save the forest more than a decade ago. If natural wealth is not enough, it is also necessary to take into account that there are many communities such as Adivasi and Shukla says that the situation of local communities is very sad because “they managed to preserve the forest for centuries and they did not even have any idea about the impact of Mining or what their rights were to protect the forest. This is due to industrialization only They would lose not only their homes but also their identities.

stones on the road. In fact, like other communities, they were already fighting for the forest, but Alok discovered that they would be much stronger if they united. They did not arrive in time as the operation of the two mines had already started, but it was not too late and the Resistance Committee to Save Hasdeo Aranya was formed to raise people’s awareness of local regulations and their rights.

They achieved victories such as closing mines and delaying the construction of others, but the central government had an answer: Go ahead with the plans and grant licenses to open more coal mines in the area. 21, especially.

victory in the end. However, after another 18 months of joint work, they managed to have the transfer of 21 mines cancelled, and the 12-year struggle was resolved by providing a protected environment for both the plants and the animals that live in them… also for the animals and their lifestyles. But Alok knows the fight is not over. “Naturally, any company whose profits and viability are at risk will try to do anything to protect its ground,” he says, so he is clear about the next steps that need to be taken.

They currently have two goals: to rehabilitate land destroyed by mines and to protect trees that are still in danger. However, this struggle began to be recognized internationally with the Goldman Prize, which is considered the Nobel Prize for the environment. This was undoubtedly a victory for the planet, but it remains to be seen how this will develop because 5.6 billion tonnes of coal is too juicy for a country hungry for this fuel to give up.

Pictures | Goldman Environmental Prize

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