Bhopal- In a shocking revelation from Singrauli district in Madhya Pradesh, a massive environmental scam has come to light under the guise of coal mining operations at the Dhirouli coal block. What was supposed to be a straightforward process of environmental compensation, planting trees to offset the destruction of forests, has turned into a web of deceit involving land swaps, falsified records, and administrative complicity.
An investigative report by The Mooknayak exposes how lands designated for compensatory afforestation are not barren plots waiting for new saplings but already lush green forests, rocky hillsides, and even inhabited areas with temples and farmlands. This exposé raises serious questions about the roles of the district administration and the forest department in what appears to be a systematic greenwashing of environmental destruction.
If the formula of "cutting trees here to plant them elsewhere" were implemented honestly, the landscape might recover. However, cross-verification of documents, collector letters, and khasra numbers paints a grim picture: this isn't conservation but a scam orchestrated on paper. The real issue isn't whether trees will be planted, it's whether the entire process is reduced to a bureaucratic ritual where forests grow only in files, not on the ground.
This investigation by The Mooknayak isn't confined to a single coal block; it unravels layers of a potential nationwide forest scam, where rules, reports, and government stamps conspire to let forests flourish on documents while vanishing in reality.
On March 3, 2021, the Central Government granted approval to Stratatech Mineral Resources Private Limited for the development of the Dhirouli coal block in Singrauli district, Madhya Pradesh. This company is affiliated with Gautam Adani's Adani Corporate House, a major player in India's energy and infrastructure sectors.
The mining area spans a vast 2,672 hectares, comprising:
544 hectares of private land,
680 hectares of government land, and
Approximately 1,400 hectares of forest land.
To kickstart coal extraction, an estimated 600,000 trees will be felled, a process that has already begun, with thousands of trees chopped down and ongoing felling as per the project plan. This deforestation is justified under the banner of national energy needs, but it triggers stringent environmental safeguards.
Under Indian environmental laws, for every tree cut in a mining project, an equivalent or greater number must be planted elsewhere as compensatory afforestation. In response, Stratatech sought large tracts of land in Madhya Pradesh's Shivpuri, Agar Malwa, and Neemuch districts for this purpose.
The administration responded with unusual haste to the company's demands. Collectors in Shivpuri and Agar Malwa districts reserved 114 khasra numbers, unique land parcel identifiers, for tree plantation, totaling 1,014.77 hectares allocated for afforestation. The breakdown includes:
Shivpuri: 405.83 hectares,
Agar Malwa: 608.94 hectares.
On paper, this looks like a monumental step toward environmental restoration. However, ground reality, as uncovered by The Mooknayak's probe, tells a starkly different story.
The Mooknayak team meticulously prepared Keyhole Markup Language (KML) files for these khasra numbers and overlaid them on Google Earth satellite imagery for verification. The findings are damning: Nearly 193 hectares of the allocated land already feature dense forests, trees, temples, arable farmlands, residential zones, and even standing homes. In essence, lands meant for "new forest creation" are pre-existing ecosystems or human settlements.
How can afforestation occur where trees already stand tall? This contradiction isn't a minor oversight, it's a glaring red flag in the compensatory afforestation process, suggesting lands were cherry-picked not for viability but to fulfill quotas on paper.
Delving deeper into the records reveals the specifics. On June 8, 2023, the Collector of Agar Malwa district wrote to an authorized officer of Stratatech Mineral Resources Private Limited. The letter, titled "Regarding Provision of Government Revenue Land for Alternative/Compensatory Tree Plantation in Lieu of Affected Forest Land in Allotted Dhirouli Coal Block," attached tables designating 1,014.77 hectares across Agar Malwa and Shivpuri for afforestation.
In Agar Malwa (Tehsil Badod), villages like Jhoopura, Hatipura, Jhalra, Markhadiya, and Narla (Tehsil Agar: Ghani Khedi) were implicated. Key khasra numbers marked as "suitable" for plantation include 511, 505, 506, 4, 5/2, 5/3, 9, 8, 170, 225, 55, 2/2, and 84.
Meanwhile, on January 3, 2023, the Collector of Shivpuri district issued letter No. 3240 to the Divisional Forest Officer, Shivpuri, referencing the diversion of 1,436.19 hectares of forest land for the Dhirouli project. It proposed government revenue lands for compensatory afforestation in Tehsil Bairad's villages, specifically Basai and Budda. The attached list reserved khasra numbers such as 137, 150, 151, 152, 155, 1577, 1578, 1605, 1606, 1607, 1608, 1653, and 1654 for tree planting.
These records classify the lands as "hilly, rocky, and plateau" terrain, yet deem them ideal for afforestation. The Mooknayak's on-ground and satellite verification contradicts this: Most areas are barren rocky outcrops, steep hills, or naturally evolved forests. Planting saplings en masse on such terrain is not just challenging but practically impossible, raising doubts about long-term survival and genuine intent.
India's environmental regulations are rigorous to prevent such abuses. Under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, any mining on forest land requires prior Central Government approval. In exchange, companies must undertake compensatory afforestation on an equal or double the area of non-forest land (if available).
The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, and EIA Notification, 2006, mandate Environmental Clearance (EC) for mining projects, detailing:
Number of trees to be felled,
Equivalent saplings to be planted,
Locations for afforestation, and
Minimum survival rates (typically 80-90% for local species, including green belt development).
Additionally, the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) Act, 2016, requires companies to deposit funds for afforestation, tree felling, and Net Present Value (NPV) into state or central CAMPA accounts. These funds support conservation and biodiversity efforts. Post-mining, a Mine Closure Plan ensures site reclamation, guaranteeing trees thrive on the ground, not just in ledgers.
Per regulations, companies must deposit ₹10 lakh per hectare for compensatory afforestation to replant felled trees. For the 1,014.77 hectares in Shivpuri and Agar Malwa, Stratatech is obligated to pay approximately ₹101.47 crore.
Yet, the scam's core lies here: Allocated khasras are predominantly rocky or pre-forested, rendering large-scale planting ineffective. This not only questions fund utilization but hints at potential siphoning, where crores flow for "forests" that may never materialize.
When confronted, officials offered little clarity. Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) Ashok Barnwal (IAS) told The Mooknayak, "All procedures have been followed as per rules." Pressed on afforesting existing forests, he abruptly ended the call: "I can't talk on the phone," before hanging up.
Shivpuri Collector Ravindra Kumar Choudhary admitted unfamiliarity: "I have no information on this yet. If your facts indicate an issue, an inquiry can be initiated." He clarified that afforestation is the forest department's responsibility, not the company's.
Stratatech's cluster officer, Bachcha Prasad, defended: "We have all necessary approvals from the government as per norms." When probed further on pre-existing forests, he cited an "urgent call" and disconnected.
Many Shivpuri khasras are recorded as "plateau" (pathar) lands. Experts note that rocky, plateau terrains make large-scale tree planting arduous and often unfeasible due to poor soil, water scarcity, and erosion risks. Designating such lands for afforestation smacks of selection based on paperwork, not ecological suitability, prioritizing administrative checkboxes over actual green cover.
The Mooknayak's investigation transcends oversight; it points to orchestrated collusion. In Singrauli, lakhs of trees are razed for coal, while "compensatory" lands elsewhere are either already green or barren illusions. This Dhirouli case isn't isolated, it's symptomatic of systemic violations in India's mining-environment nexus, where laws bend to corporate interests.
By turning a blind eye to ground truths while rubber-stamping files, authorities erode accountability. The Mooknayak commits to deeper probes, leveraging KML files, documents, and field evidence to expose every layer of this green fraud.
Note: The Mooknayak holds all relevant KML files and supporting documents for verification.
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