The Hasdeo Arand is one of the largest contiguous stretches of dense forest in central India, covering about 170,000 hectares in Chhattisgarh. It is rich in biodiversity, contains many threatened species, and is home to elephants, leopards, and sloth bears. It is also home to the Gond tribe and sits on top of more than a billion metric tonnes of coal reserves.

Laxmi Shankar Porte, the local tribal, and his neighbours in the village of Ghatbarra are currently fighting a rearguard action against the mining giant Adani to protect their ancestral homelands and one of the subcontinent's richest and most diverse regions. "If the coal mining comes, we will lose everything," he says.

In 2011 the government granted mining permission for the first coal blocks in Hasdeo Arand. By 2013 the Adani Enterprises expanded the mining operations and currently produce 15m tons of coal per annum. Now more open cast mines have been approved. An estimated 80% of the entire forest area and 30 villages may be lost, said Bipasha Paul, program officer, Janabhivyakti, an NGO that works with the local community tribals.

To the Gond, every forest feature has a spiritual significance, and they rely on products like flowers, fruits, leaves, grains, seeds, tubers, roots, grass, and timber. They use these to make medicines, ropes, mats, brooms, baskets, etc., to sustain life. Bipasha Paul argues that the local Adivasis peoples will not be the only ones to suffer. The proposed mines and an associated 75km coal rail line impact elephant habitat and inhibit migration routes in the forest. There are already a growing number of reports of incidences of human-elephant conflict as the elephants’ habitat diminishes. The Hasdeo Arand is home to 34 species of mammals, 14 species of reptiles, 111 species of birds, and 29 species of fish; these live among the 86 species of trees, the 51 species of medicinal plants, 19 species of herbs, and 12 species of grass.

The government has promised compensation and resettlement to those Adivasis impacted by the mines and forced to leave their forest homes. Still, most indigenous residents know nothing of life outside the Hasdeo Arand. Many fear they will be forced to join the exodus to the suburbs and slums of India’s vast metropolises.

Bipasha Paul articulates, “The Gonds are fighting to stop Adani Enterprises, which is one of India’s largest and most influential companies. The Adani group is currently making the headlines in Australia where environmentalists and residents are fighting plans for the Carmichael mine in Queensland.”

In October 2019, Gonds from 20 villages protested and they argued that their village councils had never permitted mining on their homelands. The protesters submitted a letter to Chhattisgarh state government authorities demanding that land acquisition and clearance for mining be rescinded on that basis. Gautam Adani says that as these lands are "coal-bearing," permission was not needed.

Gautam Adani argues that it is helping the community rather than hindering it. To them, achieving energy security for India remains their larger goal. As per the Adani Enterprise website, they have employed more than 400 tribals and have been working closely to improve education and healthcare facilities in India’s hinterlands. They plan to partner with NGOs to facilitate good relations with the community and create shared value.

Bhual Singh, a local resident, disagrees with the claim made by Adani "Mining will be our death. It is going to devastate everything nature has given us. One-time compensation for the land is not enough – we need much more than money to survive. We need nature to be with us.”

I. Based on the reading given above, answer the questions below:

1. What will be the effect of mining operations on the Gonds as well as other stakeholders? Explain which SDGs will be impacted.

2. What should the Adani Enterprises keep in mind while selecting NGO partners to create shared value based on the mandatory CSR rules? Identify any three CSR activities that can be undertaken by the Adani in partnership with NGOs and explain how they will create shared value.

3. Explain how Adani Enterprises should monitor and evaluate the impact of the proposed CSR activities identified by you in question two above.

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