Angul's Alakananda mine receives Stage-1 backing, over 330,000 trees cut
Odisha's Alakananda Coal Mines project just got the green light, but it comes at a big cost: over 330,000 trees in Angul district will be cut down to make way for mining.
The Advisory Committee of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change recommended Stage-1/in-principle approval under strict conditions, and the project is part of Angul's push for more coal mining.
Phased felling raises wildlife concerns
Tree cutting will happen in phases, with half of the trees being moved nearby and new forests planned on 760 hectares in Kalahandi as compensation.
Still, wildlife experts are worried about how this could affect elephants and local habitats, especially since Angul already faces human-elephant conflicts.
The state government has proposed a ₹103,056,000 wildlife conservation plan, but it's still under review.
This isn't the first time either; last year, the NGT issued notices over the proposed felling of over 100,000 trees for another coal project here, raising real concerns about Angul's environmental future.