Mapping
Source: PIB
Context: The Ministry of Coal have excluded certain coal mines from development to protect forest areas, including the Lemru Elephant Corridor. This is being done as the ministry strives to strike a balance between increasing coal production and preserving the environment.
About Lemru Elephant Reserve:
- The Lemru Elephant Reserve (Hasdeo Aranya forests) in the Korba district of Chhattisgarh, aims to reduce human-elephant conflicts as elephants migrate from Odisha and Jharkhand. This biodiverse area, often called the lungs of Chhattisgarh, also contains significant coal deposits.
- The state government notified the reserve (Conservation Reserve) in October 2020 under Section 36A of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972(WLPA).
- In India, elephant reserves and corridors have no legal sanctity under any law, including the Wildlife Protection Act (WLPA), 1972. The act mentions only national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, conservation and community reserves (collectively called Protected Areas)
About Hasdeo Forest:
- The Hasdeo forest (spanning over 170 sq km) and is often called the “lungs of Chhattisgarh“, is said to be the largest contiguous stretch of dense forestland in central India.
