In this file photo, a labourer works in a coal yard at Singrauli in Madhya Pradesh. The NGT has issued notices to the Central and Madhya Pradesh Governments in connection with the environmental clearances given for the Adani Group’s coal block in State’s Singrauli district.
| Photo Credit: AFP
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued notices to the Central and Madhya Pradesh Governments in connection with the environmental clearances given for the Adani Group’s coal block in State’s Singrauli district.
The notices were issued on February 26 by the Principal Bench of the NGT Chairperson Prakash Shrivastava and expert member Afroz Ahmad based on two petitions filed by environmental activist Ajay Dubey. While one of the pleas challenges the approval given by the Centre and the State for the felling of trees for the project, the other claims that a proposed elephant corridor passes through the the Dhirauli coal block area, which has been allocated to the Mahan Energen Ltd., a subsidiary of Adani Power.
The NGT issued notices to the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, the National Board for Wildlife, and the Forest Department of Madhya Pradesh without making any comments on the contents of the petitions, and sought their responses at least one week before the next respective hearings of the two petitions. While the petition regarding tree felling clearances has been listed on April 22, the one concerning proposed elephant corridor will be heard on May 26.
Mr. Dubey in his petitions has alleged that approval for the felling of over 5.70 lakh trees for the project will disturb the local ecology and could impact the movement of animals in the region. He has challenged the MoEF&CC order dated May 9, 2025, and the M.P. Forest Department order dated May 22, 2025 that gave clearance for tree felling.
Mr. Dubey has also sought directions for the MoEF&CC that the boundary of the proposed Sidhi-Singrauli-Palamau elephant corridor be identified and the territory be notified as an Ecological Sensitive Zone (ESZ).
“Arguing on the question of admission, learned Counsel appearing for the Applicant has referred to the order of the Principal Bench of the Tribunal dated November 14, 2018 whereby the issue of declaring the elephant corridors was considered and the MoEF&CC was required to look into the issue by declaring all elephant corridors all over the country as Eco-Sensitive Zone under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. He has further referred to the order of the Principal Bench dated May 16, 2019 noting that the MoEF&CC had constituted a Central Monitoring Committee to coordinate with the concerned elephant bearing States on issue relating to safety of elephants in elephant protection zone and any other further surviving issue,” the NGT noted.
“Learned Counsel for the Applicant further submits that in the Lok Sabha the questions were raised in the year 2018 in respect of the declaration of all elephant corridors as Eco-Sensitive Zone in terms of the order of the Tribunal and in response to that a report was referred to and the lists of corridors reported by the States were disclosed. He has further referred to the Annexure-B to the answer of the said parliamentary question wherein the details of the elephant corridors proposed by the State of Madhya Pradesh were disclosed,” the Bench said, noting that the two proposed corridors were — Singrauli-Sidhi-Guru Ghasidas and Sidhi-Singrauli -Palamau — that fall under M.P. Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand.
“Leaving all technical objections open, we direct issuance of notice to the Respondents for filing their response/reply by way of affidavit before the Tribunal at least one week before the next date of hearing,” the NGT said.
Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Dubey alleged that the notification of the elephant corridors “was being delayed deliberately to give necessary clearances for the coal block”.
“Because once it is notified, the company will not be able to get approvals for tree felling and other operations in the area,” he said.
“As per a field report by the MoEF&CC itself, the allotted area comprises very dense forest with a canopy of 0.40 to 0.60 scale of density, with a rich flora, fauna and more than 50 species of tropical trees like Sal, Sheesham, Teak and other such trees. We only demand that the area not be thrown open for coal mining, especially in private hands, as it would disturb the fragility and purity of the whole forest area,” he said.
In September last year, the Adani Group said that it has received approval from the Union Ministry of Coal to start the mining operations at Dhirauli mine, managed by the Mahan Energen Ltd, a subsidiary of Adani Power. The Dhirauli coal block, that covers multiple villages and forest area in Singrauli district, is among the largest in Madhya Pradesh, spread across nearly 27 square kilometres, and felling of about 5.70 lakh trees is currently going on in the area.
The Congress has also alleged various environmental violations in the project and as well as irregularities in the land acquisition and compensation. In the M.P. Assembly Budget Session that adjourned on February 27, Congress MLAs alleged that the residents of the eight villages where land is being acquired for the mining operations are not being given proper compensations.
Published – March 01, 2026 10:30 am IST
