PIL in apex court to stop cutting of 2.5 lakh trees for diamonds

A PIL (Public Interest Litigation) was filed in the Supreme Court recently asking for a stay on the Madhya Pradesh government’s diamond mining project because it would require cutting of about 2.5 lakh trees.

The proposed project is located in Chhatarpur district’s Bakaswaha region, about 300 kms from Bhopal.

The project worth Rs 2500 crore will be developed by the Aditya Birla Group.

The PIL has been filed by Neha Singh through Advocates Preeti Singh and Sunklan Porwal, who has filed a case against ESSEL Mining and Aditya Birla group, for planning to cut down a total of 2,15,875 trees to extract diamonds from the mineral-rich Bakaswaha region.

The original petition was moved to the National Green Tribunal (NGT), Bhopal bench, but the case could not be listed.

The petitioner has asked the Supreme Court to prevent the respondents from exploiting the natural resources of the country in the name of development.

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The petitioners cited global concerns like climate change, which is accelerated due to deforestation. Since climate change is and can adversely impact humans, such a project should be halted immediately, said the petitioner.

The petition said the MP government is violating environmental laws and people’s fundamental rights.