Save Buxwaha Forest Online Campaign: All you need to know

Buxwaha Forest: Latest News

One lakh and twelve thousand people from all over the country including Madhya Pradesh have come forward to save 2.15 Lakh trees to be cut for Buxwaha diamond mine in Chhatarpur, Madhya Pradesh.

It was started on the eve of World Environment Day, which is on June 5th this year. 

About the issue: What does the petition in NGT say?

The issue of a proposed diamond project in Buxwaha Forest in Madhya Pradesh's Chhatarpur has landed in the National Green Tribunal of the Bhopal Bench. A resident from Jabalpur has moved green watchdog against the project. His petition asked the court to squash the permission granted to diamonds being mined in the forest area. 

He also claimed that the permission contradicted the sustainable development provision as ordered by the Supreme Court of India and the NGT itself. 

Also the project would impact over 8000 forest dwellers also as the government of the state has no welfare plan for them. 

The last addition to the plea is that it would cause a major ecological imbalance and the groundwater resources would also be affected in the area due to the construction of the mine. 

Save Buxwaha Forest Campaign: About

1. On the World Environment Day a countrywide online campaign was launched for the conservation of the Buxwaha forest. It was done by the group named Without Nature Dark Future who aimed to save the forest from being chopped down to initiate diamond mining. 
2. More than 5000 people turned out as participants and various videos of the campaign were shared on social media. They were also viewed by more than one million people on social media platforms. 
3. The voices were against more than 2.15 lakh trees that would reach the chippers from around 382 hectares of land. 
4. Environmentalists are also questioning the move of the Government when a pandemic has already hit the country and low oxygen levels are a reason for people's death. 

Take a look at various tweets below from the movement.

Recently (Coronaoxygencrisis) and over years we are witnessing the importance for forests, Amazonrainforest #LungsofEarth, becoze of them we breath and survive.
Let us come together, Unite and save our lifelines. #SaveBuxwahaForest#राष्ट्रहितसर्वोपरि#नवोदयजनतांत्रिकपार्टी pic.twitter.com/JZlRN9x0g0

— Major Ranvir Singh (Retd) (@Ranvirsingh_NJP) June 8, 2021

2.15 lakh tree to be cut for Diamond mining in Buxwaha Forest, M.p..

Avoid natural disaster 🙏
.
. #SaveBuxwahaForest #savebuxwaha #avoidnaturaldesaster @narendramodi @ChouhanShivraj pic.twitter.com/LFUrKbxxv5

— Dishant Rai (@DishantRai9) June 7, 2021

Many have expressed their discontent on the issue, be it social organizations or individuals. 

Save our forests, save our future: Save Buxwaha.

Over 200,000 trees are expected to be cut in the Buxwaha forest for the proposed diamond project. The project would result in loss of biodiversity as well as air and water pollution.#savebuxwahaforest #savebuxwaha #savetrees pic.twitter.com/zEj1QQOE0F

— League For Justice (@LFJ_India) June 7, 2021

People have also raised questions over the intentions of the Government in action in the testing times of the pandemic.

India has suffered worst in Pandemic. Oxygen was most demanding Commodity of time. Even under such case we are not able to save our oxygen resources (Forest), What will be the future of Tree less nation.
More than 2 Lakhs of Trees will be cut for Diamonds. #SaveBuxwahaForest

— Saurabh Raghuvanshi (@SaurabhRaghuv14) June 7, 2021

About Buxwaha Diamond Project:

1. The Bunder Diamond Block is a Greenfield Mining Project that covers an area of 364 Ha in Buxwaha Protected Forest. 
2. It is located in Sagoria village of Buxwaha Tehsil in Chhatarpur District of Madhya Pradesh. 
3. The project is spread in about 80 kilometres from Chhatarpur. Its headquarters are 260 km from Bhopal 
4. Rio Tinto Exploration India Pvt Ltd was exploring the project 
5. As per estimates, the block contains around 53.70 million tonnes of Kimberlite Ore and contains around 34 million carats of rough diamonds. 
6. The estimated value if right is 15 times more than the Panna diamond reserves that are known globally. 
7. Now Essel Mining and Industries Limited which is an Aditya Birla Group Company has won the bid for the project. It was tendered by the then Government of Kamal Nath. 
8. The issue is that the Government identified only 62.64 hectare land for mining but the company is demanding 383 hectares now which would include the part of Buxwaha Forest and would be used for dumping the debris. The people who live around there are very much against it. 

Save Buxwaha Committee:

A committee was formed after the issue reached NGT. A group of volunteers planted saplings on the world environment day and held meetings at Bhimkund for saving the forests. 

A member of the protest, Sharad Singh said, “we have formed a core committee for Bundelkhand as the forest will impact many districts like Sagar, Damoh, Chhatarpur and others"

They have demanded a public hearing on this matter.

Buxwaha forests are important source of Khair, Bel, Dhava, Seja, Ghoat, Renjha, Amltas and Sagon. These trees are heavy wood trees and are extremely useful in the timber industry. 

A large variety of animals like Indian Gazelle , Chowsingha, Sloth Bear, Leopard, Monitor Lizard and Indian Rumped Vulture and Peacock find their home. These animals are listed in Schedule 1 of the Wild Life Protection Act 1972. 

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