La La Lantana: Madhya Pradesh villagers clear out invasive species, laugh all the way to the bank

As many as 14 village forest committees are involved in making lantana chips that are used by cement plants in Satna district as a combustible fuel substituting coal Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh: “I still remember collecting chironji from Majhgawan forest range, so that my family could meet the expenses related to my sister’s wedding feast. It was two decades ago. My mother, two brothers and I spent four days in the forest collecting 80 kg of chironji. I sold it in the market and arranged money for the feast. Today, the situation has changed. No matter how many days you spend in the forest, you will get nothing.”Rameshwar Mawasi (75), a Mawasi tribal from Chitahra village in Majhgawan block of Madhya Pradesh’s Satna district, is a witness to the slow death of the local forest due to the invasion of lantana (Lantana camara). “With the forest department fencing large tracts, we have access only to a few areas where only mahua, chironji and some herbs grow. Sadly, they are on the verge of destruction due to the invasive species,” he adds.Lantana first came to India from Latin America as an ornamental plant in the 1800s, but later spread across the country. According to Bhopal Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Alok Pathak, conservation of native species is important in view of climate change. However, lantana restricts the diversity of many indigenous species and herbs. It absorbs water and nutrients faster than other forest species and affects soil fertility.  It can also adversely affect the health of grazing animals due to the toxic compound found mostly in its leaves. Its dense thickets increase the risk of forest fires as well.  A research article published in Global Ecology and Conservation in 2020 assessed the lantana spread in the country's forests. The team members surveyed 2,07,100 sq km of forests and found that lantana has invaded 1,54,837 sq km of the surveyed forests. Through this sample, they assessed that 303,607 sq km of the total forest area in the country is threatened by lantana invasion.   Due to lantana invasion, tribals face shortage of their traditional foods and are forced to migrate for employment. The new generation of tribals are losing traditional knowledge about forest produce that have gradually disappeared. “Until a few decades ago, the people of our community were skilled in finding fruits, vegetables and even medicinal plants from the forests, but not anymore,” notes Rameshwar.Breaking down lantana with a machine (Photo - Sanavver Shafi, 101Reporters)A project takes shapeThe forest department makes efforts to clear out lantana every year, with the work done before the rains (April-May) and again after the rains (August-September). However, the 2021 effort was  particularly striking as the department started sending shredded lantana chips to a cement plant in Satna district, to be used as a combustible fuel substituting coal.The Village Forest Committee (VFC), in which all residents of that particular village are members, was assigned the task of uprooting lantana bushes from the forest area. The VFC members who participated in the effort received Rs 1,200 per metric tonne of shredded lantana chips in their bank accounts, while the committee’s dividend was Rs 500 per metric tonne.  “Collective efforts and regular monitoring can tackle even poisonous and invasive species like lantana,” Satna DFO Vipin Kumar Patel tells 101Reporters. “The work provides economic, social and environmental benefits to the community. People get paid for weed removal, while VFC receives dividends that can ensure development of the area,” he adds.Rewa DFO Anupam Sharma, who has been instrumental in creating and running the project, tells 101Reporters that the idea crossed his mind when he was attending a meeting with senior officers regarding lantana eradication, while posted in Satna division as a trainee officer in 2021. “Examining several researches made me realise that lantana can be used as biomass. Subsequently, my colleagues and I made a list of cement plants in the district. We learnt that most of them were using bioenergy [wood, wood residues, crop residues or household waste] as an alternative to coal.”The team then held discussions with a few cement plant operators, but they wanted to ascertain the calorific value of lantana (the amount of energy released when it is burnt). “With the help of the plant operators, we got the calorific value of lantana tested by a Bengaluru company. This report revealed that the calorific value of coal was 4,800 kcal/kg, while the grass calorific value of lantana was 4,200 kcal/kg and the net calorific value 3,900 kcal/kg, which made it a better alternative to coal as green fuel in cement plants. After the report came, a cement plant said they were ready to accept shredded lantana bushes,” Sharma details. After discussions with top officials, a proposal was sent to the government for approval. “On getting approval, we started work on the pilot project in Patehra VFC in Maihar forest range of Satna in 2021. We ordered the JF40 chaff cutter machine from a company in Bengaluru by utilising the Green India Mission fund. Soon, 76 members of Patehra VFC started removing lantana bushes from the forest,” Sharma adds.As transportation to the cement plant also was the VFC's responsibility, the forest department made it sign an agreement with Gurukul Traders, a company that supplies coal and biomass fuel to cement plants, to transport shredded lantana to the plant. “In the first three months alone, we extracted about 29.87 metric tonnes of lantana from ​Patehra, earning Rs 50,779 to the VFC. Of this, Rs 35,844 were given as wages,” Sharma says.Workers making lantana chips (Photo - Sanavver Shafi, 101Reporters)Expansion modeThe pilot project was successful, but the project was not moving forward because more machines were needed to cut lantana into small pieces. “We purchased two more machines using the Green India Mission fund in 2022 and expanded the project to 13 more VFCs in the district,” says Satna DFO Patel. Chithara, Patna Kalan, Bundelapur, Patna Khurd, Godan Tola and Motwa VFCs of Majhgawan forest range, Judehi, Kailashpur, Gorsihai and Matiachua from Chitrakoot range, Rampur Patha from Unchehara range, Karimati from Nagod range and Palauha from Maihar range were the newly-included VFCs. “With the help of these VFCs, in the 2022-23 fiscal, we extracted 1,214.98 metric tonnes of lantana and sent it to four cement plants in Satna district through Gurukul Traders. We supplied lantana chips to MP Birla Cement, RCCPL plant in Maihar and others. Our VFCs earned Rs 20.65 lakh in a matter of one year. Of this, Rs 14.57 lakh were given as wages, while VFCs accumulated dividends of Rs 6.07 lakh. The VFC in Patehra has utilised a part of the dividend it received to dig a tube well to ease water shortage,” Patel informs.Anurag Singh, secretary, Gorsihai VFC, says Lantana had encroached upon large tracts of forest land around his village. “Last year, the committee members extracted 35 metric tonnes of lantana and received Rs 42,000 as wages, while the VFC got Rs 17,500 as dividend.”He further says that due to lantana overgrowth, access to forest produce has been gradually decreasing, and wild animals hiding in these bushes posed a risk to life. The villagers have to stay awake all night in their fields to monitor crops. “After the initiative, our problems have reduced to a great extent,” he attests.Rampur Patha VFC member Maravi Singh (54) has been cultivating four acres of land, but fear of wild animals always forced him to guard the field day and night. The villagers also had to put up temporary fencing, which is no longer required.Godan Tola VFC secretary Rahul Soni says they uprooted 171.86 metric tonnes of lantana last year, earning Rs 2.06 lakh in wages and Rs 85,930 as dividend. “We used the dividend to dig tube wells. Preparations are also being made to plant medicinal plants in the rainy season.” Rampur Patha VFC provided 109 metric tonnes of lantana and earned Rs 1.85 lakh. Of this, Rs 1.31 lakh was spent on wages, while the committee received Rs 54,500. “About 712 people from 156 families in Rampur Patha came together to clear 77 hectares of forest land. Most of them are from the tribal community and do farming for a living,” says secretary Manoj Singh.Kushram Mawasi (45) says local trees such as palash, jamun, raila, dhawa and karonda have started growing following the removal of lantana. Fodder for animals is available in the forest now, which has largely reduced crop damage by wild boar, deer and chital.Taking out lantana from the forest (Photo - Sanavver Shafi, 101Reporters)What next?According to Pushpendra Gautam, supervisor, Gurukul Traders, most of the cement plants in Satna district started focusing on bioenergy as an alternative to coal last year, influenced by rising coal prices and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's self-reliant vision and vision of reducing carbon emissions. “This helped us make about Rs 20 lakh last year. As the machines provided by the department to crush lantana bushes were of very low capacity, it wasted a lot of our time. So, we bought a machine with higher capacity.”However, he is not sure what is in store this year. “I do not think this time we will be as successful, because we are not seeing an increase in coal prices. Also, the forest department is not giving us any subsidy to buy machines bigger than those currently in use. If we use bigger machines, more work can be done in a shorter time. The wages are also high. The department should either reduce the wage rates or provide funds and subsidies for purchasing big machines,” Gautam notes. Patel agrees that high coal prices turned the tide in their favour last time. “We are keeping an eye on coal prices... Using the dividend, we have made complete preparations for planting tree saplings during the rainy season. For this, one lakh saplings have been ordered from the forest nursery,” he says. Edited by Rekha PulinnoliCover Photo - Clearing out lantana in Rampur Patha (Photo - Sanavver Shafi, 101Reporters)

Portal of trouble opens again for Madhya Pradesh tribals on the lookout for pattas

Only online applications can be made for new and rejected lease claims; even for revisions that can be done offline, authorities are pushing for online mode Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh: Ravalusingh Baiga (50) had been cultivating four to five acres of land since 1998. When the Forest Rights Act (FRA) came into existence in 2006, he filed a lease claim for those eight fields. However, the lease copy he got in 2016 gave him the right to only an acre, or four fields. “Now you can guess how we run the house,” sighs Ravalusingh, whose eight-member family lives at Dhaba in Samnapur tehsil of Madhya Pradesh’s Dindori district.Budhlal Baiga (40) alleges that every third person in the village has suffered this setback. “They got 10 or 20 decimals after making claims for two to five acres. Despite lodging complaints and officials taking note, the problem persists,” he says.Organisations working for tribal welfare claim that 90% of the distributed leases have seen unwarranted reduction of land, whether the application was made offline or online. The problem persists not only in the 89 tribal development blocks of Madhya Pradesh, but also in other states Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Odisha and Chhattisgarh.Madhuri Ben, president, Jan Jagruti Samiti, which helps tribals in Burhanpur attain forest rights pattas (land titles), says applicants are now being forced to file claims through Van Mitra portal or  app. “This has proved even more disastrous.” FRC of Sheetalpani scrutinizing the maps of homesteads and farmlands (Photo - Sanavver Shafi, 101Reporters)Why portal?   The members or community of the Scheduled Tribes who primarily reside in and depend on the forests or forest land for livelihood can claim rights under FRA 2006. Any member or community whose three generations (75 years) prior to December 13, 2005, primarily resided in forest land is also eligible. Ten acres can be claimed for individual lease, whereas no limit has been set for community lease.When rejections mounted, the state government launched the Madhya Pradesh Van Mitra portal and mobile app in December 2019 to review the rejected claims. From December 2019 to November 2022, a total of 6,27,513 applications went through the Van Mitra portal and 6,17,284 claims (98%) were resolved. However, the portal gradually shut in 2020, citing confusion due to the arrival of new claims. By May last year, the portal was functional only in eight of the total 55 districts. Last July, the portal reopened to hear both new and rejected claims, but that meant only more trouble. The claims sent back for amendments will still be heard offline.Before reopening the portal, a 12-member task force was formed last April under the chairmanship of the then Chief Minister, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, for effective implementation of the rules of Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996, and FRA. This task force is functional only on paper now.A claim-making camp organized by the FRC of Pondi Forest Village (Photo - Sanavver Shafi, 101Reporters)Task force's suggestions ignoredTask force member Milind Thatte says they had suggested that the forest lease hearing should be held offline at gram sabhas because the rules itself say that the decision should be taken at gram sabha public meeting. “We had suggested that Van Mitra portal is needed to bring transparency, but should be limited to keeping records of claim documents, gram sabha decisions and leases,” he details.Another task force member and FRA expert Dr Sharad Lele tells 101Reporters that he had brought issues related to portal use before the government's notice in a meeting held under the chairmanship of Chouhan, about 10 months ago. Some of them were poor network coverage, non-availability of mobiles or laptops, poor education status of most tribals, and lack of clarity in satellite images. However, last April itself, the administration called lease applications in 20 forest villages of Dindori district with help from Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) and National Institute of Women, Child and Youth Development. “Wrong names and land compartments, and mistakes in farm size and location were found in the approved land titles during this period.”“As these are old forest villages settled by the forest department, all the fields here are eligible for individual pattas. So it was decided to mark and measure every field. Maps were prepared and then claims made afresh," says Lele, Distinguished Fellow, ATREE, which also applied for amendments in many claims.Notably, 230 claims, including new and those requiring revisions, were filed offline at Sheetalpani in Bajag tehsil and Pondi in Samnapur tehsil, in culmination of the work that began last April. Amendments had to be made to 70% of the claims given earlier. The work could not proceed in the remaining 18 villages due to portal reopening.A comprehensive map of Pondi Forest Village showing all individual lands, common-lands, and the forest within traditional boundary (Photo - Sanavver Shafi, 101Reporters)Offline new applications stalled“We first examined the land titles received at Sheetalpani and Pondi, and realised that most of them needed amendment. We formed a team each of village elders and youth. We held workshops to make tribals aware of the maps, land measurement and other technical information,” details Mohit Mahajan, ATREE coordinator, Dindori.Along with both teams, ATREE listed farms of every person in a register. Maps were prepared using mobiles with GPS and AMCHO CFR open source application to mark the location and size of each person's farm. Details of every claimant’s Aadhaar and ration cards, and voter ID were added. After claims were resubmitted offline, the forest rights committee along with revenue and forest officials measured the plots.  After the claims got gram sabha approval, they went to the sub-divisional and district committees, where 90 out of the 134 claims of Sheetalpani got approval. The remaining were returned to the gram sabha for corrections. However, only 51 of the 90 approved claimants have received land titles. Remaining are on hold because they are new claims, for which the district administration now allows applications only online.Of the 96 claims from Pondi, the sub-divisional committee accepted 80, while the forest department wanted changes to the rest. After site re-inspection and claim improvement, the claims have reached the district committee.The district administration has not made a final decision on the mandatory online process. The district magistrate had written to the state government in October itself to allow offline process, but there has been no response.Dr. Sharad Lele explaining provisions for Forest villages in the FRA at training in Sheetalpani (Photo - Sanavver Shafi, 101Reporters) Not much luck with offline revision“The lease of most of the people in our village is yet to be amended… Van Mitra portal has been reopened, and officials are now forcing them to apply online only,” alleges Bigari Singh (32), a Baiga tribal of Sheetalpani.Bigari has been quite lucky in his second attempt. He filed a forest rights claim for 1.99 hectares in 2008. “Our claim got accepted the next year, but the forest department team destroyed half of my crop one day. It was through them that we came to know that our lease was only for 0.32 hectare,” he says. A revised lease for 1.99 hectares was issued to Bigari on September 25 last year, after he approached ATREE.  Baisakhu Baiga (55) has been into farming at Sheetalpani for years together. “I made a claim for 2.57 hectares in 2006, but got 0.174 hectare on lease in 2009,” says Baisakhu, who has an eight-member family. After much struggle, he filed a claim with ATREE’s help last year and received his revised lease giving rights to the entire 2.57 hectares on September 25.Baisakhu Baiga made a claim for 2.57 hectares in 2006, but got 0.174 hectare on lease in 2009 (Photo - Sanavver Shafi, 101Reporters)Making online option a normSunaram Navasiya (47) of Sheetalpani made lease amendment applications several times, but got rejected repeatedly. “We worked jointly with ATREE to prepare maps of every farm and land for three months. The officials told us many times that our applications are correct, but added that their hands are tied,” he explains.“‘You have to apply through Van Mitra portal only; pattas will not be given by applying offline’ is the standard reply we get,” he says.Land title of Nasu Baiga (45) of Pondi has not been amended despite making an application. “Officials are insisting on online application,” Nasu laments.A Tribal Affairs Department order of July 13 last year says new applications can also be heard through Van Mitra portal. However, officials have tweaked it to emphasise that claims can only be made online.Mahajan says there was no restriction on offline application as per the order, yet it was discontinued. Also, most of the applications that ATREE deals with require amendments. The portal, on the other hand, hears new and rejected applications only.“It is not easy to get new maps and measurements from the Van Mitra app and portal... This suggests that each field should be measured separately... The satellite map does not work properly... We have informed the forest department and Collector several times,” he says. Different takesJP Sarvate, Divisional Deputy Commissioner, Tribal Affairs Department, Jabalpur, and Assistant Commissioner of Dindori Nilesh Raghuvanshi, admit that only online applications are accepted because Tribal Affairs Department has ordered to hear new applications through Van Mitra portal.  Acknowledging that tribals and ATREE have made him aware of the issues, Dindori District Collector Vikas Mishra tells 101Reporters that he has written to the Principal Secretary, Tribal Affairs Department, on October 25 last year seeking approval of 870 offline claims that have reached the district level committee. “Further action will be taken only after a reply is received,” he says. Tribal Affairs Department Commissioner Sanjeev Singh tells 101Reporters that new applications are also heard through Van Mitra portal and app this time. “Rules allow both offline and online applications. If district officials are forcing tribals to apply online, action should be taken against them. Both fresh and rejected applications are being heard on the portal. For making amendments, applicants should apply offline,” he says. However, tribals claim the offline process is not working. Meanwhile, Satendra Singh, Additional Commissioner, Tribal Affairs Department, informs that 8,144 new claims have been received since the portal reopening. "Work is on to ensure that offline application records are visible online. Once this is complete, we will accept offline applications too." Edited by Rekha PulinnoliCover Photo - FRC members of Pondi assisting claimants in confirming printed maps of the fields before they get attached to the claim forms (Photo - Sanavver Shafi, 101Reporters)

Transport woes for villagers as HC puts brakes on rural service of city buses in Madhya Pradesh

Buses contracted by urban municipal corporations had been plying to rural areas within the 25-km radius from city limits by paying motor vehicle tax of city permits, which is lower than the mandated tax for stage carriages that provide rural service    Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh: “I am a labourer earning only Rs 200 to 300 per day. It is hardly sufficient to take care of my family, including my wife and two children. For almost two months, the red bus [Bhopal City Link Limited] has stopped coming to my village. Commuting to Bairagarh and Bhopal has become difficult,” said Suraj Mistry (34), a resident of Khajoori Sadak in Phanda block of Bhopal district. Workers have to reach pitha (where work is assigned) at Bairagarh intersection between 9 am to 10 am. “If you are late, chances of getting work are minimal. When the city bus was available, I used to reach on time. Now it is difficult as autos, Tata Magic and battery-operated vehicles are unavailable in the mornings. Even if I get one, the rate that the driver quotes is beyond my reach,” he said.Kamlesh Mistry (30) of the same village said he has to travel on foot for several km sometimes. At other times, he has to pay arbitrary fares. Shivcharan Sisodia (35) and Kaju Babulal (35) of Bilkisganj in Sehore district said they either walk or take a lift to the main road located about four km away. “To reach the pitha at Neelbad intersection, we have to travel 15.9 km.” Bilkisganj resident Geeta Prajapati (21) is a BSc second year student at the Government Nutan College, Bhopal. She used to take the red bus along with Deepa Singh (22), another student. Both Deepa and Geeta said they had availed of the BCLL's monthly pass worth Rs 800. “We lost the money when the bus stopped its service abruptly. Now we walk 4 km to reach the main road. From there, we have to pay Rs 10 to 15 for an auto/battery-operated vehicle to reach Neelbad, from where red bus is available.”"Red buses are cheap, safe and convenient. They are equipped with cameras and run on time. The drivers and conductors are in uniform. The service is never stopped midway citing low passenger count," they said.City bus at the bus stop (Photo - Sanavver Shafi, 101Reporters)Diverting from permitted routesAfter the disbanding of the Madhya Pradesh Road Transport Corporation, city bus service was launched in 16 urban bodies under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission in 2012. The same year, Bhopal City Link Limited (BCLL), a holding company of Bhopal Municipal Corporation, started bus services through its contract operators after purchasing 80 new buses. The BCLL currently operates 368 buses on 18 routes in Bhopal city. Earlier, 146 of these buses had ventured into 21 routes that serve over 200 villages. In October, these 146 city buses were prevented from rural service based on an order from the Madhya Pradesh High Court. As per the Madhya Pradesh Motor Vehicle Taxation Act, 1991, the buses operating outside the city should pay taxes of stage carriages and not city permits. However, the BCLL buses had paid tax for city service only. The BCLL had sought permission from the State Urban Development and Transport Department in this regard, but it was not accepted. Nevertheless, in 2017, BCLL, in connivance with officers at the Regional Transport Offices (RTOs), started operating 34 buses on rural routes. All these buses (SR-1 and SR-1A) were earlier running from Chirayu to Bairagarh Chichali within the urban limits. With time, the number of such services increased to 146.  RTI activist and transport expert Bhupendra Kumar Jain told 101Reporters that BCLL and transport officials colluded to benefit Capital Roadways Private Company it contracted. In the process, the Madhya Pradesh government suffered revenue losses. “We complained to the Transport Department in 2017 itself. Subsequently, Bhopal RTO Officer Sanjay Tiwari ordered checks on the routes of these 34 buses. The investigation revealed that 17 buses travelled 6.2 km outside the city limits in Phanda-Kalapani route. Permits were issued by paying tax of city service and not of stage carriages. Subsequently, Tiwari issued notices to BCLL for payment of tax difference amounting to Rs 60,72,144 and the penalty,” Jain said.Simultaneously, the other 17 buses on Bairagarh Chichli-Phanda route were found to be operating 6.2 km outside the city limits. The tax amount to be recovered was Rs 58,07,880, for which notices were issued. “In these seven years, three transport commissioners, three divisional deputy transport commissioners and three RTO officers have changed, but the pending taxes have not been recovered. The outstanding dues have now jumped to Rs 8 crore. Notices issued to BCLL from time to time for its recovery are just a sham,” he alleged.Private bus operator Surendra Tanwani said the BCLL had been constantly expanding its fleet on rural routes. “Tax evasion is not limited to Bhopal city. It is spread across all 16 urban local bodies.” Villagers waiting for the bus at Halalpur bus stand in Bhopal (Photo - Sanavver Shafi, 101Reporters)Expansion modeAccording to its Public Relations Officer Sanjay Soni, the BCLL plunged into more rural routes after the then Chief Minister, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, announced the operation of urban buses within the 25 km radius of the municipal corporation limits to help rural residents, during a private programme in Bhopal on August 24, 2021. “The then Bhopal Municipal Corporation Commissioner VS Choudhary Kolsani pursued the matter by writing to the Principal Secretary, Chief Minister's Office, and Additional Chief Secretary, Transport Department. Subsequently, in May 2022, the Transport Department issued an order permitting operation of city buses of 16 urban municipal corporations of the state up to 25 km from the corporation limits.” Considering the demand, Bhopal RTO allowed 146 BCLL buses to operate on rural routes — Kanhasaiya, Hinotia, Bagroda, Bangrasia, Ratibad, Sukhi Sewaniya, Phanda, Parwalia Sadak, Intkhendi Sadak, Acharpura, Nayapura and Badjhiri to name a few. However, for more than a month, Bhopal RTO has not been giving a tax waiver due to the High Court order.Soni said Jabalpur City Transport Services Limited (JCTSL) under the Municipal Corporation of Jabalpur had also been operating 70 buses outside the city limits. However, private bus operators moved the High Court, following which a Single Bench of Justice Vivek Aggarwal in its order dated October 11 prevented the city buses from operating illegal services by paying less tax. The High Court noted that the scheme under which the state had allowed rural service of city buses had not been notified in the Gazette.Madhya Pradesh Transport Department Commissioner SK Jha told 101Reporters that the Motor Vehicle Taxation Act should be amended if tax exemption was to be given to BCLL buses. “There are clear instructions in the 1991 Act that Rs 90 per seat should be paid every three months for service in the city. If extended to rural areas, tax will have to be paid separately.” Apparently, for rural service, the tax comes to Rs 200 per seat per month.He said it has been clearly stated in the meetings held between the urban administration and Transport Department that tax exemption was not possible without changing the rules. He added that permits were being cancelled and notices were being issued for tax recovery when buses were found breaching the city limits. JCTSL legal adviser Advocate Anshuman Singh told 101Reporters that they had challenged the Single Bench's decision before the Division Bench of Chief Justice Ravi Malimath and Justice Vishal Mishra. "We got a conditional stay on November 3, according to which city buses were allowed to ply in public interest outside the city limits, but only after paying the prescribed tax. The RTO has issued notices for tax recovery. So, the company has decided to run its buses only within the city limits until the court settles the matter," he said. The next hearing in the High Court is on December 19.  Soni asked why the RTO issued them permits if they had really evaded tax. “We did seek permission to operate buses on rural routes by paying tax for city permits. We are providing affordable, easy and convenient public transport service to the residents,” he asserted.City bus service has started in Bhopal between ISRO and Kajlikheda on 7 October 2022. Mayor Malti Rai flagged off 10 new CNG buses from ISBT (Photo - Sanavver Shafi, 101Reporters)What private operators sayRejecting Soni’s position, Prem Shankar Sahu, president, Mahanagari Bus Owner Seva Samiti, Bhopal, said it operates 30 buses with 32 seats on Bhopal-Obedullaganj route. “We make a profit even after regularly paying taxes, whereas BCLL gets 22% subsidy for purchasing new buses. Yet, they demand less taxes,” he said.“The RTO fees, tax, permit and insurance costs come to Rs 15,000 per month. An extra Rs 5,000 should be spent on maintenance and Rs 15,000 on employee salaries. Yet, I manage to save Rs 15,000 to 18,000 per month,” said Suresh Sahu, who has two buses operating on Bhopal-Obedullaganj route. Bus operator Ajay Kumar Gupta, who moved the High Court against rural service, told 101Reporters that he has four buses operating outside the city limits and it used to be profitable before the BCLL entered the scene. “I went to the High Court because it was becoming difficult to pay salaries,” he said. Meanwhile, lawyer Brajesh Dubey, who is fighting the case of private bus operators, said tax exemption should be given to everyone if the government wishes so. Atul Jain, the owner of Maa Associate contracted by BCLL, said they had stopped rural service following the High Court order as losses were likely if they operated without tax exemption.Prince Joseph, the operations head of BCLL contracted Sri Durgamba Travels, said the operation of their 90 buses will become expensive if RTO did not allow exemption. "This is because our fares are fixed by the transport fare committee and we charge lower fares than private operators. We have limited the operation to 40 buses in urban areas now," he said. Edited by Rekha PulinnoliCover Photo - Villagers in a auto/battery-operated vehicle to reach Neelbad, from where red bus is available (Photo - Sanavver Shafi, 101Reporters)

Gandhi Sagar decks up for cheetah arrival, but villagers buckle up for a battle for their cattle

A 67 sq km enclosure is under construction at the sanctuary to house cheetahs from South Africa, leading to loss of grazing land of over 25,000 cows in Chainpuriya Block villageBhopal, Madhya Pradesh: “There are several problems, including the shortage of electricity, water for irrigation and land rights leases in our village, but the clouds of crisis are looming over our livelihood now. The place where our cows, goats and buffaloes used to graze is being enclosed by a stone wall and wire fence to make way for the cheetahs,” said Dinesh Gurjar (30), a dairy farmer from Chainpuriya Block village.Cheetahs had ceased to exist in the country 70 years ago (1952). On September 17, 2022, on his 72nd birthday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi released eight Namibian cheetahs into the quarantine enclosure at the Kuno National Park in Sheopur district of Madhya Pradesh. On February 18 this year, another 12 cheetahs arrived at Kuno from South Africa. In the last week of March, Namibian cheetah Siyaya gave birth to four cubs, of which three died later. Meanwhile, six cheetahs also died. At present, 14 cheetahs and one cub are present at the Kuno National Park. There is a plan to bring a new consignment of 10 cheetahs from South Africa next January. Preparations are on to settle them at the Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary, situated on the border of Neemuch and Mandsaur districts of Madhya Pradesh. Here, an enclosure of 67 sq km is under construction at a cost of Rs 30 crore. According to the forest department officials, the work will be completed by next month.On the other side of the road is Chainpuriya (Ravalikudi), coming under Chainpuriya Block village panchayat in Manasa tehsil of Neemuch district. Earlier, there used to be three villages — Chainpuriya, Ravalikudi and Pathar — which the administration had merged into Chainpuriya Block village. About 2,500 residents of 452 families live here, with their main occupation being animal husbandry and agriculture. Every villager has 70 to 100 livestock, but the number of buffaloes and goats is less against the over 25,000 cows. Dinesh said the government was opening cow shelters and running many schemes for them in every village panchayat, but was unconcerned about their cattle. Taking his point forward, his wife Sudha Bai said, “Milk business is the livelihood of our family, which includes my husband, mother-in-law and two children. We have 55 cows. The rest 25 are goats and buffaloes. If they do not get food, all of us are in danger of dying of hunger.”Workers putting up the fence (Photo - Sanavver Shafi, 101Reporters)Broken promisesSeated on a stool made of mud outside her house, Kajri Bai (75) questioned why only the poor paid the price of development. “Fifty years ago, during the construction of Gandhi Sagar Dam, we had to leave everything because our land came in the submergence area of the dam and the administration displaced us. Since then, we have been occupying this place, earning a living through agriculture and dairy business. If the government does not leave space for our cattle, we will once again face the brunt of displacement, which we detest,” she said.The family of Savra Gurjar (38) has been living in the village for 50 years. “We have no objection to Project Cheetah. Our only demand is that when our ancestors were displaced here, the forest department had reserved compound numbers 35, 36, 40, 41, 42, 43 for grazing in Rampura range of Neemuch forest division. The department has now wrongly demarcated this land for Project Cheetah.”Samrat Dixit (33) said the villagers have written to Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Governor Mangubhai C Patel regarding their problems and have submitted a memorandum to Neemuch District Collector Dinesh Jain. “We have also protested. Yet our problem remains the same. You tell me, if the forest department covers up our pastureland, where will we take our cattle to graze? We have only one grazing spot, whereas the forest department has other spaces that can be utilised,” he said.In this connection, Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary Superintendent Rajesh Mandavlia told 101Reporters that wire-fencing work began on a war footing after the department reached an agreement with the forest committees. “We have received the villagers’ consent. We have left out 300 hectares of forest land for grazing,” he claimed. Dixit confirmed that talks were held with the department officials through forest committees, where the department agreed to give up 300 hectares. However, no consensus was reached because the area provided was inadequate."During the talks, the department officials were ready to give up only 300 hectares at first. As we did not agree, the officials said they could leave 1,080 hectares in three of the six grazing compounds. But the reality is that the land offered is not enough to accommodate our 25,000 cows. Our cattle can graze at ease only when we get about 3,000 hectares," Dixit elaborated. Aseem Srivastava, Madhya Pradesh Forest Department Chief Wildlife Warden, told 101Reporters that the six grazing compounds were not part of the sanctuary, but belonged to the general forest division of Neemuch. "Right now, except for that part, chain link fencing is being done. Negotiations are progressing with villagers through the forest committees. We hope a solution to this problem will be found soon,” he said.“Our fathers and grandfathers have also lived here. One side of the road has been covered by fencing and preparations are on to cordon off the area on the other side of the road. If that yet-to-be fenced area is given to us for grazing cattle, our problem can be solved. We also need the forest to rear such a large number of cattle. We have jointly complained many times and met the officials, but our problems remain the same,” said Prahlad Gurjar (32).  Prabhulal Gurjar (45) said if a solution is not found through talks, they would approach the court. “We are in talks with fellow villagers and lawyers,” he said.Villagers at the district collector's office (Photo - Sanavver Shafi, 101Reporters)The progress so farMandsaur Divisional Forest Officer Sanjay Raikhere told 101Reporters that an enclosure is being made for cheetahs at one end of River Chambal in the sanctuary. “Here, 12,600 pits have been dug and iron pipes installed at a distance of every three meters for supplying water to them. A wall of 28 km in length and 10 ft in height is being built. Three ft above the wall, solar wire fencing is being installed to stop the cheetahs from crossing the fence,” he said.  Raikhere said the department’s earlier plan was to bring six cheetahs from Kuno, but now 10 from South Africa will reach the sanctuary by January. “Gandhi Sagar sanctuary is spread over 369 sq km. Over Rs 17 crore has been spent in installing a mesh in the 28-km enclosure, while cameras have also been installed in the forest area,” he said.He claimed that officials associated with Project Cheetah were happy about the preparations made at Gandhi Sagar and the presence of chinkaras, the favourite prey of cheetahs, in good numbers. “Water sources are being set up at every two km distance in the enclosure. Water would be lifted from the Chambal in the forest area of Karanpura and Chaurasigarh. At both places, four water tanks with 10,000 litre capacity each are under construction. Totally, eight tanks are being constructed in the enclosure,” Raikhere said.Edited by Rekha PulinnoliCover Photo - Denesh Gurjar along with his cattle (Photo - Sanavver Shafi, 101Reporters)

Rural accessibility takes a hit as transport policies fail to make up for dismantled MPSRTC

Private operators continue to fleece passengers and abandon them midway as lack of proper departmental support and good incentives affects government plans Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh: Ganesh Patidar (45) sits on a rickety bench at Nadra bus stand in Bhopal district, waiting for the next bus that will take him to Palaspani in Barwani district, some 350 km away. “It might take me 12 hours or even more, depending on my luck today,” he tells 101Reporters, as he swats a fly away from his face.“Ideally, a bus journey from here to my village should take eight hours, but since there is no direct bus, I will have to change buses in Indore,” Patidar adds."Private buses charge arbitrary fares. Many times, drivers halt the journey midway, saying it will not be profitable to complete the trip due to low passenger count. We then have no option but to wait until someone shows willingness to take us to our destination,” says Patidar, who works in a private company that supplies agricultural chemicals. He has to travel to Bhopal once in every 15 to 20 days as part of his work.This is in contrast to the time when Madhya Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (MPSRTC) was up and running. Right now, Madhya Pradesh is the only state in the country that does not have a government-run transport corporation. The crucial link that connects remote villages and administrative centres is missing in the state, making it difficult for people, especially those from the marginalised communities, to move around.Rural transport policy meeting along with the Chief Minister in Vidisha (Photo - Sanavver Shafi, 101Reporters)Snapping the lifelineThe dismantling of MPSRTC commenced in 1983, when Congress leader Digvijaya Singh was in office. However, the proposal did not get Cabinet approval during his tenure. In 2005, during Babulal Gaur’s tenure, the state government ordered its dismantling without the Central government approval.According to Shyam Sundar Sharma, a former MPSRTC employee and chairman of sadak parivahan adhikari-karmchari utthan samiti, the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, stipulates that no state government has the right to order closure of road transport service. It should get permission from the union ministries of labour and surface transport as the Centre has 29.5% stake in the corporation.As many as 500 MPSRTC buses from Bhopal, 400 from Indore and about 300 from cities such as Gwalior and Jabalpur used to travel an average distance of 500 km to cover remote villages. With the corporation becoming defunct, private operators have taken up these routes. “Nowadays, most private operators are reluctant to ply on rural routes since they are unprofitable. Instead, they opt to run exclusively on the more financially rewarding routes like national highways,” says Bhupendra Kumar Jain, an RTI activist and an expert in state transport.The journey of villagers in Barwani district (Photo - Sanavver Shafi, 101Reporters)Short-lived schemesAfter the discontinuation of MPSRTC, requests for improved public transportation in rural regions began to surface. In 2010, the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government introduced the CM Rural Transport Policy with the objective to generate employment opportunities for rural residents and extend the scope of public transport services to every village, but no work started on the ground.Two years later, the then chief secretary Anthony de Sa modified the policy to boost the incentive given to bus operators. The changes included granting online permits and offering a subsidy on the tax levied per seat from Rs 120 to Rs 20 on the designated 1,600 rural routes.Despite these efforts, bus operators displayed limited interest. In April last year, the Chouhan government unveiled another new initiative named Rural Transport Service. Launched as a pilot project in May, the scheme was operated for six months with an aim to extend the benefits of public transportation to 4,70,523 residents in 546 villages of Vidisha district. At that time, 36 Tata Magic vehicles were deployed to cover 1,513 km spanning 76 rural routes.“Operators of these 7+1 seater passenger vehicles were granted full exemption from the monthly Motor Vehicle Tax as per the Madhya Pradesh Motor Vehicle Taxation Act, 1991. Additionally, an incentive programme through the rural transport credit model was implemented to offset the losses incurred by vehicle operators,” says Mukesh Kumar Jain, the then Madhya Pradesh Transport Commissioner.Mahendra Pathak (32) became part of the pilot by plying his Tata Magic vehicle. “I used to operate between Bandhera and Vidisha. From the very beginning, the passenger count was low. The vehicle needed diesel worth Rs 300 to 400 daily. I also had a monthly loan instalment of Rs 4,534. On top of that was the vehicle maintenance cost,” Pathak tells 101Reporters.He now takes students to school in his vehicle, thus earning Rs 15,000 to 20,000 a month. “The incentive under the government scheme was only 25 paise per km, and the money was disbursed only after six months of operating the vehicle,” he says.Prakash Dhakad, who used to run his Magic vehicle on Sangul Road in Shamshabad tehsil of Vidisha, had a similar experience. “Despite making three to four trips every day, I could only secure 10 to 15 passengers. Moreover, the government had set the fares too low,” he says.However, Transport Department Commissioner SK Jha tells 101Reporters that the purpose of the pilot project is to identify the flaws so that timely improvements can be made. “During those six months, several shortcomings came to light. One notable issue was the inadequacy of the 25 paise per km incentive. In response, the Rural Transport Service has undergone modifications.”The operators who submitted the lowest rates in their tenders were engaged under the scheme. “Now, tenders will be invited by the Collector at the district level after selecting the rural routes,” he says. Jha informs that the service has been extended to tribal districts of Alirajpur, Jhabua, Dindori, Mandla and Anuppur this January.  Strangely, under the Rural Transport Service, not a single 21-seater bus was given permit in Vidisha, which means no bus operator had shown interest in the policy. The eight-seater vehicle operators are also looking for other means of employment as they have not benefitted from the policy. Bus service for rural transport in Vidisha (Photo - Sanavver Shafi, 101Reporters)Caught in red tapeThe five tribal-dominated districts of the state have dismal connectivity. The issue got widespread attention when a video circulated on social media last December, showing 35 villagers taking an auto from Jobat tehsil in Alirajpur to their village Bilasa.A state transport department official, speaking on condition of anonymity, says, “The operators are willing to provide services in remote areas, but for the reluctance of the Regional Transport Office [RTO]. The initiative has not received proper support from the department. Illegal public transport services are already operating on most rural routes, which underscore the importance as well as profitability of starting such services.”  The official emphasises that the Rural Transport Policy, 2022, has waived the monthly highway tax or permit fees. However, RTO authorities are disinclined to work without compensation. This has led to a familiar pattern in which the scheme initiated in five tribal districts, like in previous instances, remained only on paper. Ten months have passed without selection of rural routes and issue of tenders.Virendra Singh Yadav, Regional Transport Officer of Alirajpur district, says a district level committee has identified 22 rural routes based on key factors such as population of villages along the route, vehicle capacity, service frequency and the number of vehicles needed. “Tenders will be issued on a route-by-route basis, with a duration of six months to one year, and passenger fares will be determined in accordance with the transport regulations.”Other Regional Transport Officers, Vimlesh Kumar Gupta of Mandla, Ramsia Chikwa of Dindori-Anuppur, and Kritika Mohta of Jhabua, say the routes in their respective districts (Dindori 12, Jhabua 18, Mandla 20) have been identified. Old routes are also under review, and tenders will be released as soon as the survey reports become available. ExpertspeakAccording to Shyam Sundar Sharma, the government’s decision to shut the corporation was a mistake. “Rural areas are facing the brunt. The government should formulate a plan to reinstate the corporation, which will help people to access affordable and convenient public transport once again. This will facilitate better control over drivers and conductors, preventing them from charging arbitrary fares and abandoning passengers midway,” he says.Shailendra Srivastava, a retired state transport department commissioner, emphasises the need to establish transport cooperative societies to ensure the success of rural services. "Mahakaushal Transport Sahkarita Maryadit Samiti was formed by the MPSRTC employees who lost their jobs when the corporation was dismantled. This cooperative has been serving Jabalpur division since 2013, commencing with a single bus on the Jabalpur-Mandla route. Today, it has 22 buses and employs 110 individuals,” he says."By studying the cooperative transport models from across the country and aligning them with the rural transport policies, the government can not only offer employment opportunities to rural youth but also deliver accessible and affordable public transportation to villagers," Srivastava says. Edited by Tanya ShrivastavaCover Photo - Rural transport service in Vidisha with Chief Minister Shivraj (Photo - Sanavver Shafi, 101Reporters)

PART2: Consumer forum, insurance scheme not of much help to farmers in fake agrochemicals crisis

Rules governing Fasal Bima Yojana allow compensation only if a majority of farmers in an area are affected, whereas they cannot resort to consumer forum also as the dealers deny them a proper bill Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh: Farmers in Madhya Pradesh have been losing their crops, hard work and money to fake and substandard agrochemicals every season. But they do not manage to get compensation even if they have a bill regarding the purchase. “To complain in the consumer forum, we will need a proper bill. But the dealers selling agrochemicals give us a piece of paper with only the amount written on it. Even if we lodge a complaint, our chances of winning are negligible as the bill is not in the prescribed format [without the address of the dealer, seal or date of purchase],” said Manoj Meena, whose 18-acre soybean cultivation at Rampura Balachon in Berasia tehsil of Bhopal district was ruined after use of insecticide that turned out to be spurious.However, not many have managed to get relief through the consumer forum. Rashtriya Kisan Mazdoor Mahasangh national president Shivkumar Sharma said over 200 farmers of Harda district lost soybean crop on a total of 5,000 acres after using chemicals bought from local retailer Harsh Agro in the kharif season of 2018. Of them, 30 came together to file a case against the local seller and agrochemical company Vision Organics in the District Consumer Forum. On May 9, 2019, the forum ordered Vision Organics to give compensation ranging from Rs 80,000 to 1.65 lakh, depending on the area of damage. The government has authorised Reliance General Insurance to provide crop insurance under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) in Bhopal district. Meena had also insured his kharif crop by paying Rs 7,260 to the company. However, he claimed that the insurance firm had complex rules, which prevented farmers like him from claiming compensation.When asked about substandard agrochemicals-induced crop damage, Akash Parashar, Bhopal district officer of Reliance General Insurance, told 101Reporters that insurance claims can be made in such cases. "However, as per the rules, they can be compensated only if 80 to 90% of the farmers in a halka [an area comprising two to three villages] suffer crop loss. Furthermore, the crop damage survey reports of the tehsildar and that of the company should match. Only then will the claims of  farmers be approved," he informed, while reminding that the farmers have to deposit only 2% of the fixed premium rate in the kharif season, and that the remaining amount is jointly given by the Central and state governments.Meanwhile, farmers claimed that the Central and state governments always assure them that the insurance company will compensate for the loss of individual farmers as well. But the reality is that it does not happen on the ground. The chances of claims getting rejected are very high, unless the locality or district is affected by the issue.   Taking this point forward, Munnalal Rajput of Rampura Balachon said the matter applied to all claim pleas. "If a farmer's crop is damaged in drought or flood or due to other reasons, then the insurance company says he cannot claim his compensation if not a majority of the farmers in that area suffered losses in that disaster. Even if the entire district was affected, the farmers cannot claim insurance until the administration declares drought.” When this is the condition even in the case of well-defined disasters such as drought, the farmers affected by spurious agrochemicals have least scope of relief, until and unless the government conducted a survey of the damage caused by counterfeit inputs and declared the district as affected.“While insuring the crop, farmers are given cover notes or slips. All the rules and regulations are explained to farmers before we take the insurance amount from them. If their crops get damaged due to a disaster or other reasons, then a notification will be issued by the district Collector. Only after that can they avail of the benefit. Farmers have to inform the district administration and insurance company within 72 hours for the loss assessment process. For this, toll free numbers have been issued by both the company and the government,” he claimed.Manoj Meena showing damaged crops in the fields (Photo - Sanavver Shafi, 101Reporters)Spotlight on awareness campaignsAwareness programmes to educate farmers on spurious agricultural inputs are inadequate or are only on paper. Bharatiya Kisan Union’s Berasia tehsil president Devendra Singh Dangi said names of branded companies such as Bayer, Syngenta, Nagarjuna Fertilizers and Chemicals, Coromandel International Limited and Indian Potash Limited are used by fake manufacturers. “A factory inspection in Jabalpur on August 6 revealed that even cement, salt and marble ash were used to make spurious fertilisers,” he added.BL Bilaiya, Joint director (in-charge), agricultural department, told 101Reporters that the department has been raising awareness among farmers through phone calls, messages, mobile apps and camps. “This kharif season, 124 camps have been organised in villages.”Citing the camp organised recently in Berasia tehsil, PS Goyal, Senior Agricultural Extension Officer, told 101Reporters that farmers were taught how to identify the agrochemicals available in the market. “They were also informed about the Government of India’s toll free number 18001801551 to identify real and fake agrochemicals through call or message."However, Shivkumar Sharma alleged that farmers get non-standard goods from both government warehouses and vendors selling registered agricultural chemicals from different districts across the state.  “In the rabi season (November 2022 to April 2023), about 80 tonnes of NPK fertilisers that reached the government warehouses in Raisen district have been distributed to the farmers by the time the sample report that it was non-standard came. Farmers had to bear the brunt due to the sluggish attitude of officials. They do not take enough samples on time. Even if they do, the sample reports come very late. Many times, traders collude with the lab officials to get a favourable report,” Sharma detailed.Deputy Secretary Tarun Bhatnagar acknowledged that farmers still complained that fertilisers and pesticides were not giving the intended results, even after getting a clean chit in the investigation report. To deal with this situation, an investigation committee was formed in February last year and case studies from different districts were done, which laid bare the businessmen-lab operator nexus. The investigations were held in all 10 divisions of Madhya Pradesh.“As a remedial measure, a new faceless method has been introduced, in which samples are sent to labs for testing using QR codes. We signed a memorandum of understanding with the postal department to make this possible. Neither the lab operator will know from which place the sample came nor the businessman will know to which lab the sample went,” Bhatnagar explained.Investigations in progress at a fake pesticide making company in Jabalpur (Photo - Sanavver Shafi, 101Reporters)Proactive measures requiredReplying to a starred question from Gohad (Bhind) MLA Mevaram Jatav in the state Assembly on March 24 last year, Farmer Welfare and Agriculture Development Minister Kamal Patel said that 35,116 fertiliser samples were taken for testing from marketing cooperative unions and primary agricultural credit societies in the preceding five years. Of them, 3,123 were found to be non-standard.He informed the Assembly that there is a provision to return the money that farmers spent on spurious agrochemicals through the Madhya Pradesh State Cooperative Marketing Federation (MP Markfed), provided the farmers submitted their claims. However, due to non-submission of claims as prescribed by the Non-standard Fertiliser Fund, the amounts were not returned. The MP Markfed has deposited this money with the fund as per the rules.Patel said 10 FIRs have been registered in connection with the non-standard samples, while five cases have been filed in the court. Show cause notices have been issued in the remaining cases, and the sale of the remaining non-standard stock has been banned in accordance with the Fertilizer (Inorganic, Organic or Mixed) (Control) Order, 1985, he informed.Raising doubts over the awareness camps, Bharatiya Kisan Sangh's provincial president Kailash Singh Thakur alleged that their implementation was not effective. "You can guess from the minister's answer in the Assembly, what the status of awareness programmes is. If they were being held properly, the number of farmers filing for compensation would definitely have increased, but that is not happening. It simply means that either the camps are being conducted on paper or the correct information is not being conveyed to the farmers through these camps," he said.As a result, fake agrochemicals units take advantage of the illiteracy and lack of awareness of farmers to continue with their nefarious activities.Read the first part of this report hereEdited by Rekha PulinnoliCover Photo - Investigation has been started against those selling fake pesticides in Bhopal district (Photo - Sanavver Shafi, 101Reporters)  

Not insect, it is spurious insecticide that harms Madhya Pradesh farmers more

Shopkeepers take advantage of their low awareness and literacy rates to sell them fake farm inputs in the packaging of branded companies   Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh: “After taking a loan of Rs 5 lakh from the government cooperative society in Bhopal district to sow maize in 10 acres of land, I worked day and night in the hope of getting a good crop. I thought I could repay my loan by selling the produce. All that was ruined by Barazide, an insecticide purchased from Menmers Patel Krishi Seva Kendra, a registered private shop. My entire crop wilted after using it. I did not know I was using a fake version of Barazide,” said Dinesh Kamdar (45) of Ichhawar tehsil in Sehore district.Fake fertilisers, seeds and pesticides sold in the packaging of branded companies have been affecting thousands of farmers in Madhya Pradesh, making them lose their money, crops and hard work. Based on the complaints received from farmers in Bhopal and Sehore districts, 3,000 acres of soybean crop has been destroyed.Kamdar said he has been getting messages from the cooperative society to pay the loan instalments. “I neither have money nor hopes. Now, only god can help. I will be able to sow another crop only when this loan is repaid,” he laments.Prakash Singh Gurjar (32) lost soybean on eight acres to non-standard agrochemicals. “I have complained to the agriculture department officials, tehsildar, sub-divisional magistrate and the district Collector, but have not received any reply to date. Neither did I receive any compensation. In the name of action, the officials take samples and seal the shop. Afterwards, they collude with the shopkeeper to give a clean chit in the sample report. Again, the shop will open.”Farmers from Ahmedpur, Barkheda Hasan, Mungaoli, Naiheri, Barkheda Deva, Bairagarh Chhatri and Gram Bazaar and over half a dozen villages in Sehore district have purchased insecticides from Mahakal Agricultural Service Centre located in Bazaar Barkheda village. Shop owner Deepak Sharma gave them Bonsai, a weedicide, saying it will remove weeds in their fields without damaging the soybean crop. However, despite using the prescribed standards, the crops were destroyed.  Ram Gurjar (32), Dheeraj Gurjar (45) and Raju Gurjar (35) said they complained to Sehore District Collector Praveen Singh Adhayach and the agriculture department officials. “Subsequently, a team of officials and agricultural scientists inspected our fields. After a few months, we learnt that the shop had been sealed. But our problem has not been solved yet. The administration should have taken such an action, which could provide us with compensation. Or, our losses should have been covered through insurance claims,” they said in unison.With tears in his eyes, Raju said the shopkeeper chose them for the wily act and left the place afterwards. “Now, all of us have decided to lodge a joint complaint against the original company concerned and the shopkeeper in the consumer forum,” he said.Sita Bai (33) of Rampura Balachon of Berasia tehsil in Bhopal district also lost her soybean crop in kharif season (June-October) to weedicide Bonsai. She had taken a loan of Rs 2.5 lakh from the government cooperative society.Abhishek Pachauri, resident of Gram Bazaar village, said that soybean crop was sown in about 18 acres. But due to spraying of pesticide called Hachi Man Green Mix, his entire crop has been ruined (Photo - Sanavver Shafi, 101Reporters)Clandestine operationsManufacturers of fake agrochemicals usually collect the used bottles of original brands from scrap dealers. They then illegally reprint the labels of the originals and paste them on these bottles, before filling it up with spurious products. All the manufacturing details on the bottles will be that of the original companies such as Bayer, Syngenta, Nagarjuna Fertilizers and Chemicals, Coromandel International Limited and Indian Potash Limited.On condition of anonymity, a registered agrochemical seller in Gunga village of Bhopal district told 101Reporters that most of the shopkeepers know that the agrochemicals they sell are fake or are of poor quality. Their aim is to make a fast buck. "The rate of a 500 gm insecticide bottle from a certified and well-known company is Rs 300. The shopkeeper gets it at a wholesale rate of Rs 280. When he sells it for Rs 300, he makes a profit of Rs 20. But if he sells the same bottle with fake agrochemicals in it for Rs 300, his profit increases much more as he gets the product at a cheaper rate from the seller," the registered seller explained, adding that nowadays it is difficult for farmers to differentiate between genuine and fake agrochemicals. Suraj Singh (40) of Rampura Balachon lost his paddy crop in four acres after using Green Mix herbicide. Though he thought he was buying the original Green Mix manufactured by the Insecticides (India) Limited, test report revealed that the herbicide was non-standard. Subsequently, the shop was sealed. Although companies use barcodes and product codes as per the rules of the Central and state governments, they are not preventing fraudsters from duping products.When 101Reporters brought up the issue before Satyaprakash Sharma, the call centre supervisor of Insecticides (India) Limited, he said the farmer might not have used the agrochemical manufactured by the company. On further persuasion, he said the farmer might have used the medicine over and above the prescribed standards."We are an ISO-certified company. Before market launch, each of our medicines is tested at the government fertiliser and seed testing laboratories. They are not launched in the market until the test report assures the desired results," he claimed.There are government-run fertiliser quality control laboratories in Bhopal, Indore, Jabalpur and Gwalior, and a seed testing laboratory in Gwalior. These centres are responsible for checking the originality and effectiveness of agrochemicals and seeds. "Every crop season, agrochemicals and seeds are tested in these laboratories," Tarun Bhatnagar, Deputy Secretary of Madhya Pradesh Farmers Welfare and Agricultural Development Department, told 101Reporters.KK Pandey, Deputy Director (Agriculture), Sehore district, told 101Reporters that the department has been conducting investigations from time to time. “Based on the complaints from villagers, we have cancelled the licence of Mahakal Agricultural Service Centre and sealed it.” Regarding the compensation pleas of farmers, he said he cannot talk about it as the matter did not come under his purview. Investigation has been started against those selling fake pesticides in Bhopal district (Photo - Sanavver Shafi, 101Reporters)Too short a campaignAccording to a research report on counterfeit agrochemicals from the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry in 2015, the Indian crop protection industry was estimated to be worth Rs 250 billion in 2014 fiscal year. In 2013, non-genuine/illegal pesticides constituted Rs 32 billion, which is 25% by value and 30% by volume of the domestic pesticide industry of that year. The study indicated that the market was expected to grow at approximately 20% per year in value terms and if the problem is not addressed, it can reach approximately 40% share by value in the pesticide industry by fiscal year 2019.The report said that overall yield for farmers across the country can go down by 4%, if non-genuine/ illegal products occupy 25% of the market share. "This implies 10.6 million tonnes of food production loss in the current year," the 2015 report said, while adding that Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Haryana, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka were the highly affected states.In a bid to weed out fake and adulterated agrochemicals, the then Congress government led by Kamal Nath organised a 15-day campaign titled shuddh ke liye yuddh in November 2019. Samples of 653 companies were found to be non-standard upon tests. Inspections were carried out at 7,402 fertiliser, pesticide and seed warehouses, manufacturing units, and on the premises of fertiliser vendors and seed sellers across the state. A total of 5,387 samples were sent for lab testing during the campaign.However, the agriculture department has not conducted a similar campaign in the following years, whereas the departmental officials claim that they conduct investigations and take action on complaints from time to time.Strong laws neededThe Insecticides Act, 1968, and the Insecticides Rules, 1971, regulate the import, manufacture, sale, transportation, distribution and use of insecticides. The Central and state governments register a product taking into account the parameters such as chemistry, bio-efficacy, packaging and processing. Among other things, the term 'misbranded' is used to denote a product imitating or sold under the name of another insecticide. Monitoring the quality of pesticides under the 1968 Act is a joint responsibility of the Central and state governments. But the interesting thing is that there is no provision in the rules for fine and punishment against those selling non-standard and low quality insecticides. Only provisions for cancelling the licence and filing a first information report are present.In a bid to replace the 1968 Act, the Central government tabled the Pesticide Management Bill in the Rajya Sabha in 2008. However, it did not get approval and was sent to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture. The new Pesticide Management Bill draft was approved by the Union Cabinet in February 2020, and it was introduced in the Rajya Sabha the next month. But the Bill was again sent to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture. According to the Bill, import/export of pesticides in contravention of the Bill provisions, dealing in unregistered, unlicensed or banned pesticides, misrepresentation of pesticides or causing grievous hurt or death, are punishable with both a fine or imprisonment ranging from two to five years, or both. In its report tabled in December 2021, the standing committee suggested creation of an online portal to record details of samples collected for testing and publishing of the tests results online. It further recommended accreditation of all pesticide testing laboratories.On the need for a strong law to prevent sale of spurious agrochemicals, Rashtriya Kisan Mazdoor Mahasangh national president Shivkumar Sharma said that they have been demanding that the guilty be sentenced to a five-year jail term with a fine of Rs 10 crore.However, the state government has been on a slow mode since 2018-19, regarding collection of data about incidents and complaints of distribution and sale of fake/substandard agrochemicals. Replying to a starred question from Jaora (Ratlam) MLA Dr Rajendra Pandey in the state Assembly on March 24 last year, Farmer Welfare and Agriculture Development Minister Kamal Patel said the information pertaining to spurious agrochemicals was being collected. In short, the lack of proper government intervention and action against fake and substandard agrochemicals have brought the unsuspecting farmers on the verge of losing everything they own.Read the second part of this story hereEdited by Rekha PulinnoliCover Photo - Ram Gurjar spraying pesticide in the field (Photo - Sanavver Shafi, 101Reporters)

In Berasia’s forest villages, the key to development lies with revenue department

Only conversion to revenue villages can bring in panchayat funds for ensuring basic amenities in the 14 forest villages of the tehsil  Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh: “Which of our problems should we tell you about? If it was just one, we could have shared our woes, but all we have are problems,” says Arjun Singh Gond (42) of Khandariya forest village in Berasia tehsil of Bhopal district.Arjun, a member of the Gond tribal community — the second largest tribe in the state — is the third generation of his family to live in Khandariya forest. He owns four acres of land under the Forest Rights Act (FRA), where he cultivates or tries to cultivate kharif and rabi crops.  “When it is hot, we have to go three to four km in search of water… When it rains, the roads get flooded and we are completely cut off from the world. We often have to leave our homes and look for jobs elsewhere,” says Arjun, who lives with his wife, mother and two children.Road to go to Raipura village of Vidisha (Photo - Sanavver Shafi, 101Reporters)“We cannot do anything on our land freely. Even though we own the land, it does not seem so. We are at the mercy of the forest department,” he adds. The situation is the same in all 14 forest villages coming under Berasia tehsil.Khandariya is one of the 925 forest villages in 29 districts of Madhya Pradesh, forming about 19% of the total forest villages in India. A significant population in these villages relies on the forest for their livelihood and sustenance.Forest villages date back to the British era, when locals were moved into remote forests for managing them. Though they remained there even after Independence, they did not have land rights or access to development schemes since they did not fall under the jurisdiction of any revenue village.With the FRA implementation, all unsurveyed settlements in forest areas were included in the definition of forest villages.  However, the residents were left behind in the development journey as the settlements did not feature in revenue records, which meant welfare schemes of the revenue department were inaccessible to them.Dr Sudesh Waghmare, former director, Van Vihar National Park, tells 101Reporters that forest villages do not have separate funds for development like revenue villages, which is why their conversion to revenue villages was initiated. “Thus, the residents of such areas can be assimilated into the mainstream to access benefits of welfare schemes.”“The conversion of forest villages to revenue villages requires denotification of forest land, which needs approval by the Central government and then a final nod by the Central Empowered Committee, which is a panel of experts created by the Supreme Court. These areas have been converted into revenue villages only on paper,” Bhopal Divisional Forest Officer Alok Pathak tells 101Reporters. Elaborating further, he says the Government of India has been asking the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change since January 2002 for approval under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, to convert 827 forest villages into revenue villages. "District-wise proposals were sent for the period till 2004. Of these, 310 forest villages were approved, but the Supreme Court, while hearing the petition number 337/1995, issued orders against deforestation of forest villages in 2004. Because of this, the conversion remained pending." "Under the rule of conversion of forest villages in the FRA, opinion was sought from the Law Department on December 12, 2016. According to this, guidelines were issued to convert 827 forest villages into revenue villages on May 26, 2022, with the approval of the Government of India. After this, the MP Tribal Affairs Department issued instructions on August 25, 2022, to all district Collectors and forest officers to convert forest villages into revenue villages within the time limit."Caught in this bureaucratic process are the lives of forest villagers. Take the case of Padam Singh Gond (52), who earns his livelihood by growing crops on his four acres in Goria forest village, adjacent to Khandariya. “Last year, my house collapsed in the rain. Though I heard about the rain relief measures doled out by the revenue department in the state, I could not apply for compensation as I was not eligible,” says Padam.  Besides inaccessibility to welfare schemes, lack of necessities is another major issue in forest villages. Kashiram Pandu Sarote, Tulsiram Tiju Sarote, Hirelal Parte and Panchulal Tekam, all from Bhakkutla forest village in Kosmara gram panchayat of Balaghat district, claim that they have not received benefits from any government scheme. “There are 75 kutcha houses in our village. We have ration cards, but have to travel seven km just to get ration,” they say.Padam’s wife Shyama Bai (50) complains how her daughter-in-law refuses to stay with the family due to lack of proper amenities. “My son got married two years ago, but my daughter-in-law stayed with us only for six months. She says she will not come back. She has also told everyone that if we plant crops on land, forest department might take action… If we harvest forest produce, you might be framed for smuggling. You get neither water nor electricity. There are no roads either,” she complains.Khandariya's calling road which becomes muddy (Photo - Sanavver Shafi, 101Reporters)Uday Singh (48), a Bhil tribal from Putlipura forest village of Dewas, says there is no water to sow the crops even for personal use, the only option left is to migrate. Singh lives with his wife and three children on five acres of forest land.Similarly, Baiga tribals Jagdish, Mamta Bai, Parvati and Balram, who live in Kutelidadar village in Karanjia development block of Dindori district complained of lack of a metalled road. “When we interacted with the district officials recently, we were told that the village has been converted into a revenue village and that the panchayat will initiate development work,” they say.The residents have been waiting for the transition from forest to revenue villages, in hope of the promised development. “We were told our lives will get better once we become part of the revenue village... We hope we will get to see it,” they say.   “Once converted into revenue villages, their reins will be transferred to panchayats. Then, these villages can be developed with panchayat funds and government help. Basic facilities like school, anganwadi, hospital, electricity and water supply will liberate tribal families from isolation. Once part of the revenue villages, they will be able to take advantage of PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi, cooperative crop loan-insurance and solar pump scheme,” says Waghmare.Dindori District Panchayat Chief Executive Officer Nanda Bhawale Kushere tells 101Reporters that 82 forest villages of Dindori have been converted into revenue villages, including 16 in Samnapura block, 25 in Karnjia, eight in Dindori, nine in Amarpur, five in Bajag, seven in Shahpura and 12 in Mehndwani. “After getting the ‘revenue village’ tag, development work will happen there under the gram panchayat,” he reassures.As of now, the revenue land records of these villages are being prepared. The landholders in converted villages will be called forest rights holders. Their lands will be demarcated, but there will be a ban on buying and selling of land. However, forest rights holders will get the right to transfer names, that too can be done only among family members. For example, after the death of the father, the right will go to the eldest son.Kushere says when the forest department deforests these converted villages as per the law, the sale and purchase of land will be possible as in other revenue villages.Edited by Tanya ShrivastavaCover photo - People of the forest village walking on the streets (Photo - Sanavver Shafi, 101Reporters)

Let down in ‘letter’ and spirit, tribals live as encroachers on forest land

Several farmers with approved claims under the Forest Rights Act are yet to receive their title deeds, though they have received letters supporting their claims as early as 2009Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh: Ratan Singh (55) of Lamaniya village in Madhya Pradesh’s Vidisha district owns eight acres of forest land under the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006. For proof of ownership, he has a letter given to him by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan himself, he says. The irony is that the letter does not state where his land is or how much area he owns.  “I do not remember the name of the programme, but it was held in 2009 and was meant for patta (land title) distribution. Mine has my name on it,” says Ratan, holding up the ‘document’ he had received. He belongs to the Sahariya community, one of the three particularly vulnerable tribal groups in the state.At least 29 tribal farmers in Vidisha district got the letter, which read as follows: “You have been using the forest land for the past several years, but you could not get any right over it. For the first time, my government has accepted your claim and has given you the letter approving your claim on forest land. Now you can use your land without any hindrance. Your right on the land will be protected and the coming generations will also be able to take advantage of it.”However, the letter dated October 2009 is one and the same for everybody, with no additional details included to differentiate between them. Usually, when a farmer’s claim is accepted, a map of the land generated using the Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) machine is given to the beneficiary. The machine is used by the forest department to track the latitude and longitude of the area for which claims have been made. A photo of the claimant and other information verified by the department will also be part of the document.According to an official of the tribal affairs department, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, the farmers did not get proper land deeds as maps could not be printed due to a technical issue then. They were just given the letters, and it was decided that the maps and other pertinent documents will be handed over later. However, the documents were never disbursed.As per the official, around 97 tribals with approved claims were expected to participate in the programme. But neither the 29 who participated nor the rest 68 received pattas to date.Not treated as farmers  Ratan says his father used to do agricultural activities on the eight-acre plot before him. He sustains his family of seven with the income generated from farming. “I have been a farmer all my life, but apparently not in the eyes of the government.” He keeps hearing about different schemes and subsidies, which farmers in nearby villages access. But he has not been able to get any of the benefits so far. Since these farmers have no documentation to show their ownership, they are not able to avail of benefits of even basic schemes/subsidies for irrigation, fertiliser and other farm benefits.Ratan could not apply for the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana, in which farmers get Rs 6,000 annually in three instalments. Other schemes such as PM Khad Yojana, micro irrigation schemes, and even bank loans are difficult to apply for due to a lack of documents.“Even those villagers who do not own land but farm on other people’s land can have a piece of paper showing they are farming on a leased plot … and use it to avail of benefits. We are worse off than people who do not own a piece of land,” Ratan rues.A resident of Ganjbasoda in Vidisha, Tulsibai Autar says she applied for the claim of her seven-acre land thrice — once offline before she got a letter from the CM in 2009 and twice online. It was much later that she learnt the letter was of no use.(Above) The boilerplate letter from the Chief Minister granting pattas to its recipients; (Below) Tulsibai from Vidisha too received such a letter but it hasn't yet helped her claim her seven acres (Photos  - Sanavver Shafi, 101Reporters)“We went to both village and district panchayats to raise complaints and to seek information about the schemes and benefits we can apply for if we had a land deed, but we received no help,” Autar adds.The FRA recognises claims for individual rights, community rights and other forest rights by tribal and forest-dwelling communities who are in possession of forest land on or before December 13, 2005. On February 13, the Supreme Court, while hearing a petition, issued directions to all states to evict from forest land all those whose claims have been rejected. However, on a petition by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, the court stayed the eviction order after two weeks and directed all states to re-examine the process of rejecting FRA claims.“It is like we are stuck now. We do not have proof of ownership and we cannot claim ownership again because the Van Mitra portal does not exist in the district anymore,” says Bhagwan Singh Sahariya, a resident of Raipura in Lateri tehsil.Jay Adiwasi Yuva Shakti's Sunil Kumar speaks to tribal women in Ganjbasoda about FRA (Photo sourced by  Sanavver Shafi, 101Reporters)In December 2019, the Madhya Pradesh government launched the MP Vanmitra portal and mobile app to review rejected claims under the FRA and simplify the process of settlement of claims. However, it was closed in several districts in June 2020. As of now, it is operational only in Anuppur, Alirajpur, Umaria, Chhatarpur, Ratlam, Rewa, Sidhi and Hoshangabad.“We are living like encroachers on our own land… sometimes, forest officials come and destroy our crops saying we are cultivating illegally,” Sahariya says.No one to raise voice for tribal rightsThe 2009 fiasco has not been resolved yet, and it seems to have slipped under the government’s radar. When asked why tribal farmers who received a letter of ownership still do not have the land deeds, Bhopal Divisional Deputy Commissioner of MP Tribal Affairs Department Seema Soni tells 101Reporters, “It is a very old matter. Let us get it investigated.”Sangeeta Jaiswal, the department’s district convenor in Vidisha, says, “You should contact the headquarters. I cannot comment on this.”Narendra Kumar Awasthi, the District Commissioner of MP Tribal Area Development Schemes,  says, “I am not aware of the earlier case. Nothing of that sort has come to my notice. But since you are asking, we will investigate. Appropriate action will be taken on receipt of the inquiry report.”According to Nitin Varghese, an activist of Jagrit Adivasi Dalit Sangathan, this is nothing new. “If you go to districts like Burhanpur, Vidisha and Barwani, you will hear similar stories of people’s approved claims that did not deliver them land deeds. The tribal community has no space to air their grievances.” Jay Adiwasi Yuva Shakti Vidisha district convenor and advocate Sunil Kumar says multiple complaints have been made to the tribal affairs department about tribals not getting a copy of their title deeds. “We have also held protests, but have never received a satisfactory response from the officials,” he adds.“Take Barwani for example. In 2020, we protested for tribal rights for over three weeks straight outside the Collector’s office and ended the protest after officials intervened. Three years later, the problem still persists. During the protest, 11,600 people were made eligible for the title deeds, but only 80 received pattas during the Vanadhikar Utsav in September 2020… So far, only 500-600 of them have got their land deeds. We still have a long way to go,” Kumar details.Phoolwanti Bai of Barwani district’s Siddi village says her claim for six acres was approved in 2020, but she did not receive any letter from the department concerned. “This is a serious issue. We have submitted a memorandum for the same to both the CM and Collector several times in the last three years. Now, we are again preparing for a district-level movement,” Kumar adds.Neelesh Raghuvanshi, the Tribal Affairs Department Assistant Commissioner for Barwani, denies the allegation and says title deeds were being handed over to the eligible tribals through different programmes. “About 22,000 claims have been approved here and the review process of more than 9,000 claims is being done on the orders of the court. About 90% of this work is complete and the remaining claims are in the process,” he adds. Edited by Tanya ShrivastavaCover photo - A three-week protest in Badwani district organised by tribals (Photo sourced by Sanavver Shafi, 101Reporters)

Mine contractors throw caution to wind, make villagers of rural Bhopal gasp for every breath

Lung diseases, allergies, eye and skin infections and anaemia are quite common, but no strict action has been taken against mine operators for flouting normsBhopal, Madhya Pradesh: “A strange sound comes out whenever I breathe,” says Kulwant Bai (40) of Acharpura village, located about 20 km from Bhopal.“I always have a sore throat. The local doctor could not help much. Therefore, I visited the Government Community Health Centre (CHC) in Bhopal’s Gandhinagar. The doctor told me I had throat and lung infection, and advised me to stay away from dusty environments, but I did not know how.”  Kulwant and her family of four have been living in Acharpura for 26 years, where stone, ballast and murram mining is commonplace. A powdery film — a mixture of dust and other fine particles — covers the houses. Dust clouds hang around constantly. The farmlands look grey and dull from a distance itself. Nothing much grows here and whatever does is not good for consumption.Residents of many other areas of Bhopal — Neelbad-Ratibad, Balampur, Kolar Kajlikheda, Nipania Jat, Kurana, Chandpur, Nazirabad Gram Dhamantodi and Baroda — have similar stories to tell.Stone mining involves extraction of granite, limestone or marble from quarries or mines. Ballast, a type of gravel or crushed rock, is also extracted from some mines. On the other hand, the ground is excavated to extract murram, a mixture of soil and small stones.The air that killsSushila Bai (30) of Mastipura, located 10 minutes from Acharpura, understands what Kulwant is going through. “I came here after my marriage in October 2020. After a few months, I was expecting my first child… and all of us — my husband, mother-in-law, brother-in-law and sister-in-law — were happy. But one day, I fainted and was taken to the doctor, who told me I have anaemia. Pollution was cited as the reason.”  “I used to wrap a cloth around the face, what else to do? The baby weighed less than normal at birth… and doctors said he had a lung condition as well. Anyway, he did not survive for more than a few days,” she cries bitterly.Long-term exposure to air pollution and fine particles (PM2.5 and PM10) increases the risk of anaemia, a 2022 study from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, has found (Photos sourced by Sanavver Shafi, 101Reporters)Anaemia is prevalent in women in the area. “Exposure to particulate matter [PM2.5] for long periods can lead to oxidative stress, which impairs the circulation and absorption of iron in the body. Iron deficiency reduces the formation of haemoglobin in the body,” Dr Hansmukh Jain of Bhopal tells 101Reporters.Long-term exposure to air pollution and fine particles (PM2.5 and PM10) increases the risk of anaemia, a 2022 study from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, has found.Other than pollution, the most obvious reason for anaemia is malnutrition. “Needless to say, if the mother is unhealthy, the child will also be. If we examine the National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-5, 53.5% of women (15 to 49 years) in Bhopal district are anaemic. About 68.5% of children under the age of five are anaemic, while 18% of the children aged under five are stunted and 19% are underweight,” cites Ravi Pathak, who works for Hidayat, a social organisation dealing with malnutrition in Bhopal rural.Meanwhile, a doctor at Gandhi Nagar CHC tells 101Reporters that four out of 10 people visiting the outpatient department suffer from lung and respiratory diseases. “Allergies and eye and skin infections are also going up. If the condition is serious, I refer the patient to Government Hamidia Hospital in Bhopal,” he says, on condition of anonymity.The villagers are susceptible to incurable diseases such as silicosis, an interstitial lung disease caused by inhaling of tiny silica particles found in rocks and soil. This causes permanent lung scarring over time. “However, they cannot afford to stop working in the mines because they do not receive pensions or other financial assistance,” Pathak says.Rules on holdThings could have been far better if the mines followed the guidelines related to air quality, says social worker and environment activist Rashid Noor Khan.As per the guidelines issued by the Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board (MPPCB), stone crushers should be covered with a tin sheet to prevent the dust from escaping. Labourers should be given “telescopic suits” for protection against dust and dirt. Additionally, water sprinklers to settle dust should be in place.But none of the mines, and definitely not the illegal ones, in Acharpura, Neelbad, Ratibad, Mastipura and Kaliyasot follow the rules, alleges Khan. “The worst part is there is no way to check pollution levels in these places. I believe the Air Quality Index may be at dangerous levels here,” he adds.Despite orders from four District Collectors in the past, the mine demarcation work to record and limit the area where operations are allowed has not been completed (Photos sourced by Sanavver Shafi, 101Reporters)MPPCB Regional Officer Brajesh Sharma tells 101Reporters that equipment to measure air quality is not located near the mining spots. “They are installed in the city, so we cannot measure the pollution from mines. However, we take speedy action whenever we get complaints. Acting on one such complaint, our team recently investigated and submitted a report regarding an illegal mine in Mastipura. Subsequently, the mine was shut,” he says.Khan, however, alleges that he has complained about air pollution in several places located near Bhopal to the PCB many times in the last three years, yet no action has followed. “And even if they do, it is often too late. In Mastipura, that was the case.”He also says that despite the orders from four district Collectors in the past, the mine demarcation work to record and limit the area where operations are allowed has not been completed.Acting on complaints, Nikunj Srivastava, the then district Collector, had first issued directions to demarcate all mines in 2013. In 2015, Nishant Warwade launched an investigation and gave instructions to make security arrangements to prevent illegal activities in mines. This stopped as soon as he was transferred. Dr Sudam Khade in 2018 and Avinash Lavania in 2023 gave instructions to fence the mines, but things remain the same. Lavania is no longer posted in Bhopal.“Demarcation would prevent illegal mining in areas where no permission has been given for excavation, while fencing will prevent accidents… There is a flurry of activity only when an unfortunate child drowns in an open mine pit. Otherwise, the administration hardly cares,” rues Khan.Mining beyond the legally allotted areas is quite common in Acharpura, Mastipura, Binapur, Khajuri and Ratatal. “Before issuing permission, the revenue officer of the mineral department and an official of the forest department will demarcate the area, but the contractors give it a pass. Action taken on our complaints is nominal,” says Jitendra Meena, a social worker from Mastipura.Refuting Meena’s allegations, Bhopal district Mineral Officer SS Baghel tells 101Reporters that the mineral department is quick to take action over complaints. “Recently, we got a complaint regarding a mine allotted to one Punit Jain in Mastipura. Our investigations revealed that Jain had mined from the area where he had no permission to operate. A case was registered in the Collector’s court and a fine of Rs 5 lakh was imposed.” “In 2022-2023, the department had filed 15 cases of illegal mining in Bhopal district and seized 17,379 cubic metres of minerals in all. In three cases, 18 cubic metres of sand and two tractors were seized. Also, 17,186 cubic meters of murram in seven cases and 134 cubic meters of boulder in five cases were impounded. Similarly, 41 cubic meters of soil and one dumper were seized in two cases. As many as 67 cases of illegal storage and 14 cases of illegal transportation have also been registered,” Baghel claims. In Bhopal division, the mineral department has allotted 140 stone quarries, 27 murram mines and one gravel mine each in Manpur-Gopalpur mines through e-tender. The department has earned a revenue of Rs 83.74 crore in the last five years, while Rs 17.13 crore was the revenue in 2021-22.Edited by Tanya ShrivastavaCover photo sourced by Sanavver Shafi, 101Reporters