BRIJ MAHTO from Jharkhand's Ramgarh district is tired of running from pillar to post to get compensation for his farmland acquired by Central Coalfields Limited 22 years ago. Mahto's family had held possession of over 6 hectares (ha) for more than 100 years before the Central government subsidiary acquired it. The piece of land had lasted and sustained at least four generations. Today, 35-year-old Mahto, who was once a proud farmer, is forced to seek out daily wage work to fend for his family.
Much before the state of Jharkhand was formed, Mahto's village Kedla had come in the grasp of the Central government under the Coal Bearing Areas (Acquisition and Development) Act (CBA), 1957. CBA allows the Union Ministry of Coal's Coal's public public sector undertaking Coal India Limited (CIL) and its subsidiaries like the Central Coalfields Limited (CCL) to acquire as much land as needed for exploration. The "economic interests" of the country justify mining without limitations, not even requiring consultation with the communities facing displacement.
CBA declares that the compensation is always secondary. The result is cases where the compensation is denied, delayed, inadequate and often gets decided after land acquisition, like those seen in Jharkhand.
The government has not released any consolidated data on land acquired for coal mining, people affected or compensation awarded in nearly a decade. The last major official estimates were in the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs' 2014 "Report of the High Level Committee on Socio-Economic, Health and Educational Status of Tribal Communities of India", which said that CIL and its subsidiary companies have displaced nearly 87,000 people since 1973, including more than 14,000 people from the Scheduled Tribes.
Denne historien er fra November 16, 2023-utgaven av Down To Earth.
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Denne historien er fra November 16, 2023-utgaven av Down To Earth.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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A SPRIG TO CARE FOR
Punarnava, a perennial herb, is easy to grow and has huge health benefits
DIGGING A DISASTER
Soapstone mining near Dabti Vijaypur village has caused many residents to migrate.
REVIEW THE TREATMENT
Several faecal sludge treatment plants in Uttar Pradesh suffer from design flaws that make the treatment process both expensive and inefficient
MAKE STEEL SUSTAINABLE
As India works to double its GDP by 2030, its steel industry must balance growth with sustainability. By embracing policies like the Steel Scrap Recycling Policy 2019 and adopting green technologies, India is paving the way for a more sustainable future in steel production
Can ANRF pull off the impossible for India?
Anusandhan National Research Foundation is expected to reorient India's innovation goals but funding issues, old mindsets remain a drag
TROUBLED WOODS
Forests are a great bulwark against climate change. But this is fast changing. AKSHIT SANGOMLA travels through some of the pristine patches of the Western Ghats to explore how natural disturbances triggered by global warming now threaten the forest health
BLINDING GLOW
The science is clear: increased illumination has damaging consequences for the health of humans, animals and plants. It’s time governments introduced policies to protect the natural darkness and improved the quality of outdoor lighting.
GROUND REALITY
What happens when the soil loses the ability to grow healthy, high-yield crops on its own?
GM POLICY MUST BE FARMER CENTRIC
On July 23, the Supreme Court of India directed the Union government to develop a national policy on genetically modified (GM) crops for research, cultivation, trade and commerce through public consultation.
Vinchurni's Gandhi
A 96-year-old farmer transforms barren land into a thriving forest in drought-prone region of Satara
