A storm of protest marked the environmental public hearing held for Gujarat Mineral Development Corporation’s (GMDC's) proposed 5 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) lignite mining project in Valia taluka of Bharuch district. Villagers from 18 tribal-majority villages, backed by local political leaders, strongly opposed the project, raising concerns about displacement, environmental degradation, and violations of constitutional safeguards.
The hearing, chaired by District Collector Gaurang Makwana and Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) Regional Officer V D Rakholiya, was conducted at Sodgam Ground under the supervision of GPCB’s Ankleshwar office. Despite the formalities of the process, the atmosphere was charged as villagers, activists, and elected representatives made it clear they would not allow the project to move forward.
The proposed opencast lignite mine, part of the EFG-Valia Lignite Block, would cover 3,011.4312 hectares across 18 villages including Choramla, Rajgadh, Sodgam, Umargam, Tuna, Luna, and others. While the Ministry of Coal had reserved the block for GMDC in 2017, a Letter of Intent for the mining lease was issued in January 2022, followed by a lease grant in July 2023. The area includes approximately 280 hectares of government land and over 2,730 hectares of private land, with no forest land involved.
Local MLA Chaitar Vasava, who condemned the hearing as a token formality, accused the government of bypassing the resolutions passed by all 18 Gram Sabhas rejecting the project. Earlier, villages falling under the Schedule V area passed a resolution against the project.
Vasava highlighted that despite decades of industrial development in tribal belts, communities displaced by earlier GMDC projects including in Rajpipla continue to struggle for basic infrastructure and welfare. He also raised allegations of illegal land occupation by senior bureaucrats on tribal lands protected under the Constitution and vowed to reclaim these lands.
Echoing Vasava’s concerns, former MLA Mahesh Vasava, tribal leader Dilip Vasava, and activist Anil Bhagat criticised the project for ignoring the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 (PESA), which mandates consent from Gram Sabhas for projects in tribal regions.
Community members like Sharlaben Vasava and Balwantsinh Gohil also expressed apprehension about the irreversible damage the mine could cause to local water sources, wildlife, and the region’s ecology.
According to officials, the Valia mine is among the three new mines slated to begin production in 2026 as GMDC prepares for the eventual closure of older mines. Swagat Ray, GM of GMDC, told the Times of India that they are "progressing with environmental clearances and land acquisition for these three mines."
With environmental concerns and legal violations being flagged by multiple stakeholders, the hearing underscored growing tensions over how industrial projects are being fast-tracked in tribal areas. For now, one message from the public hearing rang loud and clear: the affected communities are in no mood to yield.
Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Refusal to give up land for the project
Opposition against environmental degradation
Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Region Classification
Rural
Type of Land
Common and Private
Non-Forest (Grazing Land), Non-Forest (Other than Grazing Land)
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
Other environmental services, Agricultural land, Grazing, Water bodies
Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict
Source/Reference
Total investment involved (in Crores):
₹
8999
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
Legislations/Policies Involved
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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute
What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?
What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?
Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:
Lack of legal protection over land rights
Violation of environmental laws
Non-implementation/violation of PESA
Non-implementation/violation of LARR Act
Legal Status:
Out of Court
Status of Case In Court
Whether any adjudicatory body was approached
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:
Ministry of Coal
PSUs Involved in the Conflict:
Gujarat Mineral Development Corporation
Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?
No
Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached
Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:
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?
