The Bandha Coal Block in Singrauli Coalfield in Singrauli district of Madhya Pradesh has come into limelight due to multiple issues relating to land acquisition, rehabilitation, deforestation and environmental impact.
The project was allotted to M/s Essel Mining and Industries Limited of Aditya Birla Group in 2021, and has opencast mining capacity of 5 million tonnes per annum (MTPA). The lease area is spread over five villages of Bandha, Tenduha, Pidarwah, Deori and Pachaur in Sarai tehsil of the district.
The coal mining project involves approximately 1850.94 hectares of land area, including forest, government and private agricultural and residential land. The forestland affected is nearly 807.917 hectares, while as per rehabilitation and resettlement package 776.09 hectares of private land is involved. The project is slated to displace approximately 10,000 people in the villages impacted under the project, including indigenous tribal communities.
In April 2026, it was reported that the work on the project had begun despite the land acquisition not being completed. As per the report of local news media outlet, the villagers claimed that the company had started its operation and excavation activities without paying full compensation to the affected community. An official of the company claimed that excavation work was being carried out on forest land, while claiming the same stands duly transferred to the company.
It was further claimed that only about 30 percent of the people had been compensated till April 2026 and that the process of compensation is being implemented in phased manner.
Previously, the villagers in February 2026 had protested against the displacement caused due to the mining project. While meeting the Collector in the backdrop of ongoing deforestation, the villagers had demanded that the felling of trees should be stopped until they get full compensation for the land and houses affected due to the mine project. A public hearing was held in January 2026, for issues concerning deforestation and compensation.
A series of protest before the Collector office in 2025 had highlighted issues related to land evaluation without the consultation of the affected village members. The displaced people also alleged that they were not being provided with the copy of Panchnama. As per a local leader representing displaced community, consent letter had been forcibly taken from Gram Panchayat. Further, it was claimed that the compensation amount calculated did not take into account the increased price of land.
The project received recommendation for environmental clearance by Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) in 2023. For forest dwellers affected by the project, it was reported that only two (2) individuals have been found eligible for compensation, as many applications for individual and community rights are pending at various level. Even though, the project received ‘in-principle’ approval for forest clearance under Forest (Conservation) Act 1980 dated 1 October 2024, the timeline for receiving final approval is not publicly available.
Additionally, the project suffers from striking controversy involving illegal compensation claims of people geographically untouched with the project. As per a report in 2025, people including those residing in different states or beyond the frontiers of the country, had built partial house structures on the affected land with the intention of garnering unlawful compensation. This has resulted in deprivation of the compensation to many legitimately affected villagers, as their houses (in many cases ancestral) had been marked illegal along with the imperfect house structure built in hurry, discrediting their claim for compensation.
The project also involves concerns regarding felling of trees of mahua, tendu, jarul and sal, and impact over other natural resources on which indigenous people depend for their livelihood. Notwithstanding the depletion of forestland due to mining in the region, the livelihood of local communities has been hit hard as adequate jobs have not generated. Many important river streams also flow through the mining lease area.
Several individuals have approached the Madhya Pradesh High Court over compensation and procedural violation issues, many of which are pending final adjudication.
Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Demand for compensation
Demand for rehabilitation
Demand for promised compensation
Complaint against procedural violations
Demand for legal recognition of land rights
Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Region Classification
Rural
Type of Land
Common and Private
Forest and Non-Forest
What was the action taken by the police?
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Details of sources (names of accused, names and numbers of any lawyers, names of any police officers contacted)
Status of Project
Original Project Deadline
Whether the Project has been Delayed
Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users
Agricultural land, Residential area, Grazing, Other environmental services, Other Natural Resource extraction/dependence
Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict
Source/Reference
Total investment involved (in Crores):
₹
2300.07
Type of investment:
Cost of Project
Year of Estimation
2021
Has the Conflict Ended?
No
When did it end?
Why did the conflict end?
Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict
Forest and Scheduled Area Governance Laws, Environmental Law, Land Acquisition Laws, Forest and Scheduled Area Governance Laws
Legislations/Policies Involved
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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute
What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?
What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?
Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:
Non-consultation with stakeholders
Non-implementation/violation of FRA
Non-implementation/violation of LARR Act
Non-payment of compensation/promised compensation
Non-rehabilitation of displaced people
Legal Status:
In Court
Status of Case In Court
Pending
Whether any adjudicatory body was approached
Name of the adjudicatory body
Name(s) of the Court(s)
Madhya Pradesh High Court
Case Number
W.P. No. 11257/2021 & W.P. No. 9390/2025
Main Reasoning/Decision of court
Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:
Whether criminal law was used against protestors:
Reported Details of the Violation:
Date of Violation
Location of Violation
Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:
Ministry of Coal, Office of Collector (Singrauli), MoEFCC; Madhya Pradesh Forest Department; Madhya Pradesh Tribal Affairs Department
PSUs Involved in the Conflict:
Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?
Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached
Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:
M/s EMIL Mines and Mineral Resources Limited (EMMRL)
Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?
Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:
What was the action taken by the police?
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?
