Bhopal Coal Project threatens elephant corridor: Wildlife activists sound alarm

Wildlife experts and environmental activists in Madhya Pradesh have raised serious concerns over the Dhirauli coal block project in Singrauli, warning that it poses a major threat to an established elephant corridor in the region.

The proposed coal mine is located in a forested landscape rich in biodiversity, which also serves as a crucial movement corridor for elephants and is home to several other species, including tigers.

Activists allege that the elephant corridor was deliberately removed from official maps to facilitate clearance for the Dhirauli mine. According to them, government maps until 2022 clearly marked the corridor passing through the proposed mining area, but it has since “mysteriously disappeared” from updated maps.

Authorities have justified approval of the coal block by stating that the mine site lies five kilometres away from the nearest elephant corridor. However, wildlife experts dispute this claim, pointing to older records and maps that show the corridor running directly through the mining zone.

The corridor is considered vital for the movement of more than 100 elephants in the Rewa–Shahdol landscape, who regularly traverse the forests of Singrauli.

Environmental groups say their concerns have intensified as forest clearance has already begun across nearly 1,400 hectares for the project. Protests are now being mounted, with activists demanding a review of the clearance process and restoration of accurate wildlife mapping before further damage is done.