The tribals in Parsa and Kante Basin coal mines area of Ambikapur, north Chhattisgarh, have brought mining activities of the Adani enterprises to a complete halt since Friday. All efforts by officials of the company and the administration to seek settlement were in vain, when around 250 tribals gathered on Monday.

The villagers told the sub-divisional magistrate NS Bhagat and other Adani officials that they would continue with the protest. “Now mere word of assurances will not work. We want action on the ground,” the protestors said.

Adani group bagged the Parsa East & Kante Basin coal block contract for the entire operations from Rajashthan Rajya Vidhyut Nigam Limited, which got the block in Ambikapur district in 2007.

According to the agreement, the Adani Enterprises will work as mine developer-cum-operator through its subsidiary Adani Mining.

A villager, Bholenath Singharmo, cited that the forest in the area happened to be elephant corridor. “Before the mining production, the rights of the tribals and forest dwellers in the area must be settled.

We rely on tankers to get drinking water, there is no facility of school or dispensary that were promised,” he told HT.

However Adani officials are hopeful of getting the dispute settled soon. “The school, dispensary and other demanded facilities will follow the due process and take time”, Anurag Tyagi, liaison manager of Adani corporate affairs based in Ambikapur, told HT.

Tribal activist Gangaram Paikra said that earlier this year, the National Green Tribunal expressed surprise over the approval to the project carried out in an open cast coal mine as it was part of “no go” area classified by ministry of environment and forest (MoEF).

Adani officials stated that issue of any additional compensation demanded against the land needs to be handled by the state government.