Skip to main content

Do we need this coal project in West Bengal, which displaces 21,000 people?

By Bharat Dogra 

As the crisis of climate change has aggravated rapidly, there is a strong reason for being highly cautious about development of any new coal projects. Nevertheless, countries of the global south cannot entirely ban such development as they have to be concerned also about their crucial energy needs as well and of developing their own resources within the country for this.
Countries of the global south have shown greater sense of responsibility than the developed and richest countries in this respect and they could have played an even more helpful role if the rich countries had kept to their earlier promises of generously helping the global south in this effort. Their promise of arranging a fund of 100 billion dollars a year for helping in this was a very modest effort which fell short of real needs, but the rich countries have been falling behind even in meeting this modest commitment of 100 billion dollars a year, which should be compared to the annual spending of 250 billion dollars in the USA alone on liquor!
Due to the absence of assured or significant support from rich countries in reducing their dependence on fossil fuels and other related tasks, countries of the global south have to be more cautious in balancing their climate change mitigation tasks with their essential development needs. This caution is well justified.
Having said this, it should be asserted that there is a clear need for being more restrictive towards the development of new large-scale coal projects and the need for being more restrictive and cautious is now much higher in times of aggravating climate change. The need for such caution will only increase in the coming days.
It is in this wider context that the controversial Deucha Pachami open pit coal mining project in Birbhum district of W.Bengal should be examined. From what we know of this project already at a very early stage, this is supposed to have the potential of very heavy yield of coal, although mining conditions are likely to be difficult and involve several hazards.
What we know with greater certainty is that nearly 21,000 people will be displaced and nearly half of these are from tribal communities. The tribal communities have been in the forefront of opposing this project to protect their villages and livelihoods, their farms and forests. In the past, according to reports, they have also opposed ecologically harmful stone mining and stone crushers. Clearly these tribal communities are very keen to protect their forests and farms and so they should be suitably encouraged in this endeavor to increase green cover in the area and ensure more sustainable livelihoods.
The clearly exhibited opposition of tribal communities, the threat of their displacement as well as the displacement of others, the destruction of forests as well as the need to be much more restrictive than before towards development of new massive coal projects—all these factors taken together are reason enough to stop this project once and for all.
Unfortunately the state government has been going ahead with scattered actions to promote and initiate the project without even taking the necessary environmental clearance and without initiating widespread public hearings and consultations. Although the Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee has stated that no coercion will be involved in acquiring land, the reality appears to be that it will be difficult to avoid coercion if the government goes ahead with this project. Hence it is better to give up this project at this early stage instead of incurring wasteful expenditure on it in times of resource scarcity.
---
The writer is Honorary Convener, Campaign to Save Earth Now. His recent books include ‘Planet in Peril’, ‘A Day in 2071’ and ‘When the Two Streams Met’

Comments

TRENDING

From snowstorms to heatwaves: India’s alarming climate shift in 2025

By Dr. Gurinder Kaur*  Climate change is no longer a future concern—it is visibly affecting every country today. Since the beginning of 2025, its effects on India have become starkly evident. These include unseasonal snowfall in hill states, the early onset of heatwaves in southern regions, a shortening spring season, and unusually early and heavy rainfall, among other phenomena.

Priced out of life: The silent crisis in India's healthcare... who pays attention, and who takes responsibility?

By Aysha*  Manisha (name changed) has been living with a disease since the birth of her third child—over ten years now—in the New Seemapuri area of North East Delhi. She visited GTB Hospital, where a doctor told her that treatment would cost ₹50,000, as the hospital would charge for the cost of an instrument that needs to be implanted in her body. Several NGOs have visited her home, yet she has received no support for treatment and continues to live with the illness. Manisha is divorced, without access to ration or pension, and lives with her three children by begging outside a temple.

'Incoherent, dogmatic': Near collapse of international communist movement

By Harsh Thakor*  The international communist movement today lacks coherence or organizational unity. Many groups worldwide identify as communist, Marxist-Leninist, or Maoist, but most promote dogmatism, reformism, or capitulation, using revolutionary rhetoric. Some trace their origins to historical betrayals, like Trotsky’s efforts to undermine the Soviet socialist transition or the 1976 coup in China that restored a bourgeoisie under Deng Xiaoping. Others focus on online posturing rather than mass engagement. Small communist organizations exist in places like Turkey, South Asia, and the Philippines, where Maoist-led struggles continue. No international forum unites them, and no entity can forge one.

Vishwamitri river revival? New report urges action on pollution, flood risks, wildlife protection

By A Representative  The Vishwamitri Committee, formed by the Gujarat State Human Rights Commission, has submitted two supplementary reports on June 5, 2025, detailing efforts to rejuvenate the Vishwamitri River in Vadodara, considered Gujarat's cultural capital. The reports (click here and here ) respond to directives from a May 26, 2025, GSHRC hearing. Comprising environmentalists, urban planners, and zoologists like Neha Sarwate, Rohit Prajapati, Dr. Ranjitsinh Devkar, Dr. Jitendra Gavali, and Mitesh Panchal, the committee focuses on mitigating pollution, stabilizing riverbanks, managing flood risks, and preserving biodiversity, particularly for crocodiles and turtles.

Honouring Birsa Munda requires resisting the loot of natural resources

By Raj Kumar Sinha*  The legacy of Dharti Aaba Birsa Munda is inseparable from the struggle to protect indigenous land, identity, and rights. On June 9, as we commemorate Shaheed Diwas (Martyrs’ Day), it is imperative to reflect not only on his life but also on the ongoing injustices faced by tribal communities in the name of “development.”

Victim to cricketing politics, Alvin Kalicharan was a most organized left handed batsman

By Harsh Thakor* On March 21st Alvin Kalicharan celebrates his 75th birthday. Sadly, his exploits have been forgotten or overlooked. Arguably no left handed batsman was technically sounder or more organized than this little man. Kalicharan was classed as a left-handed version of Rohan Kanhai. Possibly no left-handed batsmen to such a degree blend technical perfection with artistry and power.

Sewer deaths 'systemic crimes' rooted in caste-based oppression, economic marginalization

By   Sanjeev Kumar*  Despite repeated government claims that manual scavenging has been abolished in India, the relentless spate of deaths among sewer and septic tank workers continues to expose a deeply entrenched reality of caste-based discrimination, systemic neglect, and institutional failure. A press release issued by the Dalit Adivasi Shakti Adhikar Manch (DASAM) paints a harrowing picture of hazardous conditions faced by sanitation workers across the country—conditions that routinely lead to fatal outcomes with little to no accountability.

The only professional in Indian horse racing history to win over 1,000 races both as jockey and as trainer

By Harsh Thakor*  Pesi Shroff is perhaps the most visible face of Indian horse racing. He seamlessly carried forward the legacy of his cousin Karl Umrigar, who tragically lost his life in an accident. In many ways, Pesi became a symbolic reincarnation of Karl’s aspirations, taking Indian racing to greater heights and establishing records that remain unbroken to this day.

Mumbai jetty project: Is Colaba residential associations' outrage manufactured?

By Gajanan Khergamker   When the Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB) filed an affidavit before the Bombay High Court defending its long-planned public jetty project, it did more than just respond to a writ petition by a Colaba Residents Association. It exposed, albeit inadvertently, a far more corrosive phenomenon festering beneath the surface of urban civil life across India—a phenomenon where residential associations, many unregistered and some self-professed custodians of ‘public sentiment,’ conspire to stall governance under the veil of representation.