The recent recommendation to allow expansion of the mine is a sign of development overcoming environmental concerns and Rajasthan’s continued hunger for coal.
There’s a coal mine in central India that is perhaps the most storied and controversial of India’s mines. It helped launch the Adani group’s coal operations when it was still a commodities and ports company and Gautam Adani wasn’t yet Asia’s richest person. And, over the years, it has has gone through every imaginable controversy—from the coal scam to questions of forest conservation and rights of the local tribespeople.
Yet, from being nearly shut down twice for violating mining and environmental laws, the Parsa East Kente Basan (PEKB) coal mine in northern Chhattisgarh has come a long way. It is …
Nihar Gokhale led the Chaos coverage at The Morning Context. Nihar wrote on the environment, the economy and resource conflicts in India. He has reported from across the country on everything from displacement, pollution and environmental violations to land regulation, corruption and human rights. He was earlier associate editor at Land Conflict Watch, and his work has appeared in Scroll, The Wire, IndiaSpend, The Caravan and Mongabay India.
Editor, Chaos
nihar@mailtmc.com
Delhi