Aggressive mining operations: With 70% of Maharashtra’s forest cover, Gadchiroli is on brink of environmental collapse

By Raj Kumar Sinha*

A looming ecological and social disaster is unfolding in the forests of Gadchiroli, Maharashtra. Over 1.23 lakh trees are set to be felled for mining activities—an alarming development that has sparked widespread protests from Adivasi communities and civil society organizations. They are urging the state and central governments to immediately halt all mining-related approvals and operations in the region. They are also calling for a complete review of all clearances, including Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) and Detailed Project Reports (DPR), based on holistic ecological, hydrological, and social assessments. These groups demand that forest corridors and tiger habitats be recognized as protected areas, and that the laws under the Forest Rights Act (2006) and PESA Act (1996) be strictly enforced. Most crucially, they insist that decisions made by tribal gram sabhas be respected through transparent public hearings.

Gadchiroli, which contains over 70% of Maharashtra’s forest cover, is on the brink of environmental collapse due to aggressive mining operations. For countless indigenous communities like the Gonds and Madias, the forests are a cultural and economic lifeline. Yet, powerful corporations—such as Om Sai Steels and Alloys Pvt Ltd, JSW Steels Ltd, and Sunflag Iron and Steel Company Ltd—are transforming this forested district into a mining hub with political backing. Most recently, Lloyds Metals and Energy received environmental clearance to set up an iron ore processing plant in the reserve forest, which entails the cutting of over 100,000 trees across 937 hectares. This development threatens to destroy one of India’s most crucial tiger corridors.

Multiple mining and processing projects are already underway in areas such as Surjagarh, Konsari, Durgapur, and Indravati. Shockingly, several environmental clearances have been granted without consulting or obtaining consent from gram sabhas—an essential requirement under both PESA and the Forest Rights Act. Gadchiroli has 1,567 villages, of which 1,311 fall under the PESA framework. This legal protection means that no mining activities can proceed without community consent. Yet, locals say they are often excluded, silenced, or intimidated during public hearings, which lack transparency and prior informed consent. Consultations are frequently held in distant locations, making participation difficult for affected villagers. Officials routinely dismiss local voices under the guise of "security concerns."

The consequences are deeply damaging—not just ecologically, but socially and culturally. These industrial projects encroach upon sacred groves and destroy natural wildlife habitats, threatening species and displacing forest-dependent communities. The livelihoods of mahua and tendu leaf collectors, subsistence farmers, and forest dwellers are under siege, with their lands being repurposed for mining without consent or safeguards. False promises of lucrative employment are made to locals, but in reality, they are pushed into low-paying jobs as security guards or unskilled mine laborers.

The influx of outsiders has also triggered a troubling rise in gender-based violence. Women report increased harassment, fear of moving freely, and a sense of growing insecurity even within their own homes and villages. A 2023 report titled Mining, Repression and Resistance found that women’s safety, autonomy, and traditional ways of life are being steadily eroded.

Ecologically, the damage is irreversible. Most corporate mining operations promise compensatory afforestation, but these new plantations are often located far from the affected areas and fail to serve any meaningful restorative purpose. Iron ore processing requires vast amounts of water, especially for beneficiation and dust control. This leads to rapid depletion of groundwater, heightening the risk of water scarcity. The felling of millions of trees will destroy protective vegetation and topsoil, increasing susceptibility to erosion and sedimentation in rivers. Chemical effluents from iron ore mining turn freshwater sources red and undrinkable. Sediment and metal discharge further degrade water quality, posing serious health risks to both wildlife and local communities who rely on these rivers. The population is expected to suffer from diseases like silicosis, dehydration, and gastrointestinal issues. Even after mining stops, iron ore residues can continue to interfere with the body's natural fluid regulation.

Increased sedimentation due to deforestation will also make Gadchiroli more flood-prone, damaging crops, homes, and essential infrastructure. The region forms part of an ecological corridor connecting Tadoba and Indravati tiger reserves—an essential habitat for tigers, leopards, and elephants. Projects like Lloyds Metals and Energy’s continue to be pushed forward without clearance from the National Wildlife Board, despite clearly falling within critical wildlife zones. As wildlife habitats shrink, animals are forced into human settlements, escalating human-wildlife conflict. In May 2025 alone, over 11 people lost their lives to tiger attacks in Chandrapur district. The situation may worsen as human intrusion deepens.

What is unfolding in Gadchiroli is not just an environmental crisis—it is an assault on tribal dignity, democratic rights, and the future of one of India’s richest forest regions. Forests are being razed, rivers poisoned, and sacred lands desecrated—all in the name of profit. That is why tribal communities and civil society are united in their demand for an immediate moratorium on mining in the region.

Meanwhile, environmentalists have also raised the alarm over a similar situation in Rajasthan, where the government is considering redrawing the boundaries of the Sariska Tiger Reserve to allow expanded mining in the Aravalli Hills. This proposal, submitted to the central government and the National Tiger Conservation Authority, could reopen at least 50 mines that were earlier shut down by Supreme Court orders. Environmental group People for Aravalli has submitted a memorandum opposing the move, warning that such actions set a dangerous precedent and could severely undermine wildlife conservation efforts across India.

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*With Bargi Dam Displaced and Affected People's Association

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