Aditya Thackeray seeks exclusion of Marki-Mangli II from coal block auction

Maharashtra Environment Minister Aditya Thackeray has written to Union Minister for Coal and Mines Pralhad Joshi requesting his intervention in halting the Marki-Mangli-II coal block auction.

The block falls in the which falls in the tiger corridor of Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) and Tipeshwar Wildlife Sanctuary (TWS).

He has urged the Union Minister to drop the auction of this mine as it could cause irreparable losses to the entire forest zone ecosystem and the wildlife that has been depending on it.

The Marki-Mangli-II coal block auction threatens the wildlife in the region since it falls in the corridor of TATR-TWS.

The segment where the mine block is proposed also falls under the area of approved Tiger Conservation Plan (TCP) of Tadoba.

About 250 hectares of the proposed mining area, which account for almost 50% of this project, is on reserve forestland in the Mukutban range of Yavatmal district.

News reports suggest that while in 2015, the MoEF&CC had mentioned this proposed mine to be in "inviolate areas", the 2018 communication from the MoEF&CC does not mention so, Thackeray has pointed out.

Highlighting the concerns of the potential destruction of precious conservation zones, Thackeray said, "Our thriving tigers in the region will not only lose their natural habitat but would have to face a massive level of disturbances due to the mining activity and increased presence of humans in the region."

Thackeray also thanked the Union Minister for his intervention in the Bandar Coal Mine issue last month. He said that by dropping it from the auction list, an extremely sensitive eco-zone of tigers and invaluable biodiversity has been saved from destruction.