Wildlife experts warn of irreversible habitat fragmentation despite conditions for mitigation

In a controversial move that raises fresh concerns about India’s conservation priorities, the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) has granted clearance for a coal mining project that will divert over 80 hectares of forest land within a key tiger corridor in Maharashtra’s Chandrapur district. The project area connects three major wildlife habitats — Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve, Kanhargaon Wildlife Sanctuary, and Tipeshwar Wildlife Sanctuary — critical for tiger dispersal and genetic diversity.

The proposal by Western Coalfields for the Durgapur Opencast Mine was approved at the 84th NBWL meeting held on 26 June 2025, with the caveat that an Rs 18.07 crore Wildlife Management Plan will be implemented to reduce ecological damage.

The decision follows a series of meetings and field assessments, including a high-level review chaired by the Union Environment Secretary in May 2025. Wildlife scientists and conservation experts on the board had earlier raised concerns about habitat fragmentation and the potential obstruction of tiger movement in the region.

At the heart of the deliberations was a dispute over which tiger corridors are officially recognised. While the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) used a “least-cost pathway” model to identify corridors, the Maharashtra government’s Tiger Conservation Plan, based on telemetry data, points to alternate dispersal routes.

The committee eventually approved the proposal, conditional upon the execution of a wildlife mitigation plan prepared by the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun. This plan includes measures to manage wildlife conflict, create artificial corridors where possible, and fund local conservation initiatives.