October 23, 2025
RAIPUR – Protests intensified in Chhattisgarh’s Raigarh district on Wednesday as hundreds of villagers from Dharamjaigarh marched to the district collectorate, demanding the immediate cancellation of the proposed public hearing for the Puranga coal block allocated to the Adani Group.
Carrying banners and placards, the demonstrators raised slogans such as “Jal, Jungle, Zameen Hamara Hai” (water, forest, and land are ours), as they gathered outside the collector’s office. The protesters insisted that the district collector personally engage with them and listen to their objections regarding the project.
According to the information, the proposed underground coal mine, located within the Tendumudi Gram Panchayat area under Dharamjaigarh development block, has already been rejected by the local Gram Sabha in a special meeting held under the provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA).
The Gram Sabha unanimously passed a resolution opposing the project proposed by M/s Ambuja Cements Ltd, a part of the Adani Group.
According to the proposal, the company plans to develop a 2.25 million tonne per annum underground coal mine spread across 869.025 hectares. This includes 621.331 hectares of forest land, 26.898 hectares of non-forest land, and 220.796 hectares of private land.
The villagers have raised objections, stating that many individual claims filed under the Forest Rights Act, 2006, remain unresolved. “Without settlement of our forest rights, moving ahead with this project is illegal. It will destroy our forests, fields, and the animals we depend on for livelihood,” said one of the villagers leading the protest.
Forest right activist Rajesh Tripathi told The Statesman that the rapid industrial expansion in this part of Chhattisgarh has come at a heavy ecological and social cost.
“Uncontrolled movement of heavy trucks ferrying raw materials has made the roads perilous, while the destruction of forests has intensified elephant incursions,” he said.
Tiwari added that extensive mining has depleted livestock and rendered vast stretches of farmland unfit for cultivation. “When factories and mines first arrived, people believed they would bring prosperity,” he noted. “Three decades later, what they have instead is despair. The villagers have now resolved to protect their water, forests, and land, whatever the price.”
The protesters also warned that if the administration fails to cancel the public hearing scheduled for November 11, they would launch a larger movement across the region. The district administration has yet to issue a formal statement on the villagers’ demand, even as opposition to the project gains momentum in the forested belt of northern Raigarh.