In December 2023, captain (retd) Brajesh Kumar Bharadwaj from Chhindwara raised concerns when he noticed that the existing 1,200-metre airstrip in Pachmarhi, built during the British era, was being expanded by the public works department (PWD) to 1,800 metres, defying the Wildlife (protection) Act, 1972, and ESZ notification.
The PWD had floated a tender for over Rs 9.19 crore for the construction of the airstrip at Pachmarhi. The work was granted to Sarathi Constructions on 12 May 2022 for the commercial expansion of the airstrip.
The expansion work was being carried out in the ecologically fragile Pachmarhi, which is a UNESCO-designated biosphere reserve. The site fell within 200 metres of the protected area boundary of the Satpura Tiger Reserve and within the notified Eco-Sensitive Zone of Pachmarhi Hills.
Citing these violations, Bharadwaj lodged complaints with the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), PCCF (Wildlife), field director of Satpura Tiger Reserve (STR), Airports Authority of India (AAI) and DGCA. He alleged, "The public works department (PWD) has deployed heavy machinery for digging a stretch and hilly slopes. Many trees were also felled. The chopped trees have been hidden in nearby shrubs."
According to Bharadwaj, planes will fly over the core area during take-off, landings, diversions etc, thus violating Wildlife Protection Act (WLPA), 1972. “New airstrips with fuel bunkering and refuelling require mandatory clearances,” said Bharadwaj.
Soon after his complaint, a report was sought from the PWD, leading to the stoppage of work.
According to a Times of India report, the airstrip was being extended under the regional connectivity scheme (RCS), and the idea was to allow VIP planes.
Later, Bharadwaj petitioned the National Green Tribunal (NGT), which initiated an inquiry into the matter. On 8 August 2024, the NGT ordered the suspension of the airstrip expansion project in Pachmarhi until all statutory permissions, including those for Environmental Sensitive Zones (ESZ), wildlife, and environmental clearances, are obtained.
The NGT noted that the expansion was being carried out without statutory permissions viz. Environment Clearance, Wildlife Clearance, approval of National Tiger Conservation Authority and was violative of several provisions of the Eco-Sensitive Zone notification. It also issued notices to key authorities in connection with the controversial airstrip expansion project in Pachmarhi.
An expert committee has been constituted by the NGT consisting of five members representing MoEFCC, CPCB, District Narmadapuram, SPCB and SEIAA (MP) which, inter alia, recommended alternate sites be explored and emphasised the need for a clearance from National Board for Wildlife Clearance.
Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Demand to cancel the project
Complaint against procedural violations
Opposition against environmental degradation
Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Region Classification
Rural
Type of Land
Common
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
Grazing, Other environmental services, Religious/Sacred/Cultural value, Water bodies
Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict
Source/Reference
Total investment involved (in Crores):
₹
Type of investment:
Year of Estimation
Has the Conflict Ended?
No
When did it end?
Why did the conflict end?
Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict
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.
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
Violation of environmental laws
Legal Status:
In Court
Status of Case In Court
Pending
Whether any adjudicatory body was approached
Yes
Name of the adjudicatory body
National Green Tribunal (Central Zone Bench, Bhopal)
Name(s) of the Court(s)
National Green Tribunal (Central Zone Bench, Bhopal)
Case Number
O.A 188/2023 (CZ), O.A 619/2023 (PB) [Brajesh Kumar Bharadwaj vs.State of Madhya Pradesh & Ors.]
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
Madhya Pradesh
Kumar Sambhav is a social entrepreneur and award-winning journalist, leading innovative research in accountability investigations. He is the founder of Land Conflict Watch and is currently working as India Research Lead with Princeton University’s Digital Witness Lab.
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