India: inhabitants of central regions victims of the country's energy needs
Audio 02:29
Jharia Mining in India is an open-pit coal mine.
© Getty Images / Daniel Berehulak
By: Côme Bastin Follow
2 min
In Chhattisgarh, which accounts for 2% of the population but 16% of the country's coal reserves, the inhabitants are directly affected by the growing appetite of industrialists for fossil fuels.
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As far as the eye can see, the earth is gutted.
At the bottom of the Palma Station open-cast mine, machines are activated to extract the precious fuel.
We are in Raigarh district, where hundreds of thousands of millions of tons of coal lie.
Their operation directly impacts the premises.
“
Over the past ten years, the number of patients I see has increased a lot,
says Ayurvedic doctor Haria Patel.
Due to deforestation, clean air is disappearing and pollution is increasing.
With the smoke spewed out by the industrialists, the population catches lung problems, skin problems, even cancer.
"
Direct consequences on the health of the inhabitants
In the village near Sarasmal, a study carried out in 2017 on 341 inhabitants showed that 87% of them were infected by air and water pollution. At 33, Shivpal Bhagat is their spokesperson. “
My mother has stomach problems, my older brother has skin problems. Others have chronic coughs
! It is unfair because mine workers have health insurance. But we farmers have nothing.
"
A layer of dust covers the fields and the houses.
Anand Patnaik complains about the permanent blasting of the soil in the surroundings: “
Because of the underground explosions for coal and water, the walls of my house are full of cracks and they are crumbling.
We do not receive any compensation for that.
I don't have enough to fix it, I'm afraid it will collapse.
"
Industrialists expropriate villagers, most often in defiance of the law, says Haria Patel.
“
The companies do not respect the people, the forests, and Indian law.
They corrupt government control agencies.
Sometimes, even the consent of the village chiefs is falsified.
"
Mining activity that should increase further
Recently, Narendra Modi's government re-launched the Central Indian Mine Auction. Giant Indian groups such as Jindal or Adani take over. “
Today, new companies are arriving and prospecting, and we are very worried that activity will increase further,”
says Shivpal Bhagat
. If we provide electricity to the rest of India, the rest of India should also be interested in us. The country needs to know that if we destroy the jungle here, it will increase temperatures everywhere.
"
India on average depends on coal 70% for its electricity and demand is growing, to the point that the country is currently experiencing a fuel shortage.
By 2040, energy consumption in India is expected to double again, according to the International Energy Agency.
The people of Chhattisgarh ask not to be sacrificed for the needs of the rest of the country.
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India
Energies
Economy