COAL V CORRIDOR

A proposal to mine coal along a corridor that links two tiger reserves in central India is a step away from getting final clearance. The move could affect movement and genetic diversity of tiger populations in the region

- HIMANSHU NITNAWARE

TOURIST GUIDES operating in Bandhavgarh say that one cannot visit the National Park and return without spotting a tiger—such is the density of the animal in the forest. The tiger reserve in Madhya Pradesh is home to the largest royal Bengal tiger population in central India.

However, a coal block a few metres from the corridor that links Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve to Achanakmar Wildlife Sanctuary, located 225 km south, is close to being opened for coal mining. The 3-km-wide corridor that connects the two reserves and other tiger habitats in the region is crucial for genetic exchange and maintenance of tiger meta-population. It also helps curb human-tiger conflict.

Since November 3, 2025, the decision to allow mining of the coal block identified as Marwatola VII awaits approval of the Environment Clearance division of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MOEFCC). Sources tell Down To Earth (DTE) that MOEFCC officials are strongly against mining of Marwatola VII because it could be devastating for tiger populations across central India. According to “Status of tigers, co-predators and prey in India, 2022” report by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), six tiger reserves in central India—Achanakmar, Bandhavgarh, Kanha, Panna, Pench and Sanjay Dubri—collectively hold 342 tigers, with Bandhavgarh being home to the largest tiger population (134).