Hut at Hasdeo Bachao Andolan site reduced to ashes
2 min read
The agitators said – the struggle to save the forest will continue
Raipur. The hut at the protest site of the Hasdeo Bachao Andolan was burnt by fire. Under this hut, the people of the affected area have been protesting for more than 750 days. This site is in village Hariharpur of Udaipur police station area of Surguja district. This movement is going on in Hariharpur against the Hasdeo coal mines. After the incident on Sunday night, the police are engaged in investigation. The night the incident happened was the night of Holika Dahan. It is not clear how the fire started or was set. Surguja Superintendent of Police Vijay Agarwal says that we are getting the investigation done. If needed, the help of experts from the Forensic Science Department will also be taken.
The agitators say that this movement will continue in protest against the approval of new coal mines. Here, coal excavation has been going on for about 11 years in the Parsa Kete East Basen (PKEB) mine of Rajasthan State Electricity Generation Company. 17 coal blocks are proposed in Hasdeo area. A large area of this has been proposed by the then Congress government in Lemru Elephant Reserve. A non-official resolution has also been passed unanimously in the assembly to not do any new excavation in the Hasdeo Aranya area and not to approve new coal blocks. Local villagers are opposing the approval of new coal blocks and cutting of trees. People of the affected area are protesting in Hariharpur with this demand. A big hut was built using wood at the protest site.
This hut caught fire on the night of Holika Dahan. People came to know about the incident in the morning. A complaint of fire has been lodged in the police station. An investigation team led by Udaipur police station in-charge Kumari Chandrakar reached the spot. It is not yet clear how the fire started. The agitators have said that they will continue the agitation.
