In November 2025, thousands of villagers gathered in Harli village, in Barkagaon Block of Hazaribagh district in Jharkhand for one of the largest mahapanchayats ever held in the region. For over two years, the village of Gondalpara and four neighbouring villages—Gali, Balodar, Hahe, and Phulang—have opposed the coal mining plans by Adani Enterprises. Although the legal status of this parcel of land is shown as sold, including 513 hectares with forest and tenancy lands, the villagers say they were never consulted or given consent as required by law.
The villagers, primarily dependent on agriculture, fear the destruction of fertile lands and forests that sustain their livelihoods. They allege that a fake Gram Sabha was conducted through which they came to know about the project.
“In this region, there are three major coal blocks, while in total there are seven coal blocks. The government, under pressure from the companies, keeps doing fake Gram Sabhas, and people protest against it. This means it is the company that the government is listening to. So we decided that this time, let us hold a mahapanchayat to give our own answer,” said Dr. Mithlesh Kumar Dangi, an activist with Azadi Bachao Andolan, the movement leading the protests. “The government listens to companies, not the people. That’s why we held this mahapanchayat—to give our own answer.”
The mahapanchayat drew over 10,000 people, a rare show of mass unity cutting across tribal, Dalit, OBC, and Muslim communities.
Resistance to coal mining in the Barkagaon block is not new. Since 2004, communities have protested the Pakri Barwadih coal block allocated to the government-owned NTPC. Villagers allege that neither they nor their gram panchayats were consulted before project approvals. Fake consultations and unfulfilled promises of jobs and delayed compensation has deepened distrust among those affected. Villagers have also alleged harassment by police and companies to stifle their protest, including the filing of false FIRs against protesters. Between 2023 and 2025, the Jharkhand Police filed First Information Reports (FIRs) against more than 20 villagers, primarily based on complaints from Adani officials. Charges range from obstructing official work to serious allegations like “attempt to murder.”
In 2020, the Gondalpara coal block in Barkagaon Block, Hazaribagh, was auctioned to Adani Enterprises Limited as part of the government’s push for commercial coal mining. This coal block, spanning over 500 hectares of fertile farmland, forest, and tenancy land, was previously reserved for public-sector use but was controversially handed over to a private company without consulting the local communities. The affected villagers from five villages, including Gondalpara, Gali, Balodar, Hahe, and Phulang, only learned about the project through media reports rather than official communication. They immediately rejected the project and launched protests against it, accusing both the government and Adani Enterprises of bypassing legal norms such as mandatory consent. In retaliation, the authorities dismissed their protests and filed numerous criminal cases against over 300 villagers. Since April 2023, the villagers have maintained a continuous sit-in protest, united across different communities, fighting to protect their land, livelihoods, and environment.
The Gondalpara coal block, auctioned to Adani in 2020 as part of the Modi government’s commercial mining push, poses serious environmental threats. The project is estimated to cover over 1,268 acres, including farmland, forests, and water bodies such as the Badmahi river—a lifeline for several villages.
“The Badmahi river sustains 15 villages. If it is ruined, nothing will be left,” said Devnath Mahto, a senior protest leader. The mining is expected to generate 229 million tonnes of solid waste, endangering fertile land, forests that harbour rare medicinal plants and timber, and vital wildlife corridors, including elephant pathways.
A meeting between industrialist Gautam Adani and Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren in April 2025 sparked further speculation about possible political maneuvering connected to Gondalpara coal block and Godda thermal power plant.
Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Refusal to give up land for the project
Complaint against procedural violations
Opposition against environmental degradation
Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Region Classification
Rural
Type of Land
Common and Private
Forest and Non-Forest
What was the action taken by the police?
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Details of sources (names of accused, names and numbers of any lawyers, names of any police officers contacted)
Status of Project
Original Project Deadline
Whether the Project has been Delayed
Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users
Residential area, Other Natural Resource extraction/dependence, Other environmental services
Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict
Source/Reference
Total investment involved (in Crores):
₹
998
Type of investment:
Cost of Project
Year of Estimation
Has the Conflict Ended?
No
When did it end?
Why did the conflict end?
Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict
Environmental Law, Environmental Law, Land Acquisition Laws, Forest and Scheduled Area Governance Laws, Forest and Scheduled Area Governance Laws
Legislations/Policies Involved
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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute
No
What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?
What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?
Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:
Violation of environmental laws
Non-consultation with stakeholders
Legal Status:
Out of Court
Status of Case In Court
Whether any adjudicatory body was approached
No
Name of the adjudicatory body
Name(s) of the Court(s)
Case Number
Main Reasoning/Decision of court
Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:
Whether criminal law was used against protestors:
Reported Details of the Violation:
Date of Violation
Location of Violation
Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:
Union Ministry of Coal, Jharkhand Government; Department of Mines and Geology, District administration, Hazaribagh
PSUs Involved in the Conflict:
Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?
Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached
Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:
NTPC; Adani Enterprises Limited
Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?
Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:
What was the action taken by the police?
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?
Sarup is a researcher and doctoral student in Political Science at the North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong. His research interests lie in the area of ethnic and land conflicts, political ecology and development and urban spaces of Northeast India. He has a Masters’ degree in Development Studies from the Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati. He has previously done research/internships with NABARD, Oxford Microfinance Initiative (renamed Oxford Development Consultancy) and CSDS (Lokniti Programme).
