Business
Misplaced activism undermining development: The Hasdeo story
What does Parsa in Hasdeo, Chhattisgarh, have in common with the northwest German village of Lutzerath or Brasilia in Brazil? They are hubs for protests against coal mining, with well-funded activists taking the forefront citing lack of protection for indigenous reserves.
In Chhatisgarh, the ‘adivasis’ (tribals) in Hasdeo have been resisting the destruction of their lands because of the coal mines in which Rajasthan government’s owned power company, Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Limited, has invested heavily for commissioning of 4,400 MW of thermal power stations.
They are supposed to source coal from its three Parsa East-Kanta Basan (PEKB), Parsa and Kente Extension Coal Blocks with annual production of close to 30 million tonnes.
However, it has been able to produce only half of it from the first phase of PEKB Block while both Parsa and Kente Extension coal blocks have failed to take off, courtesy the protests.
Meanwhile, in Brazil, indigenous groups have held many protests to pressure lawmakers into strengthening protection for indigenous reserves and limit illegal activity by miners and ranchers encroaching on their territory.
In Germany, protestors in Lutzerath are protesting the planned expansion of a nearby coal mine as they believe that the village has long been doomed to disappear to allow the gigantic Garzweiler open-pit lignite mine to expand further.
But Parsa’s case differs from Brazil and Germany. The vast majority of Brazil’s electricity is produced by hydro power with just 3 per cent coming from coal, some of which is imported.
Germany, on the other hand, is planning to abandon coal by 2030 as part of the transition away from fossil fuels and toward cleaner energy sources.
In India, the major production of electricity is achieved through coal, which is around 75 per cent of the total power generation. India’s per capita electricity consumption is half of Brazil, one-fourth of China and sixth of Russia among BRIC nations.
India has the fifth largest coal reserves in the world and it is the most affordable fuel for the developing nation.
Also, unlike Brazil, Parsa’s units are not illegal. The five petitions filed by protestors against the coal mines in Parsa at the Chhattisgarh High Court have been rejected.
But both the mines are still facing the heat of the protests, making the financial condition of hundreds of families, who willingly offered their land for the critical mine project a couple of years ago, worse.
Locals are neither able to carry on their agriculture activities nor are there any job prospects due to delayed mining projects. They are compelled to live on the money they received as compensation for their land.
Besides, thousands of direct and indirect jobs in the underdeveloped region, Rajasthan power utility is estimated to pay nearly Rs 2,000 crore to the Chhattisgarh government in terms of various taxes and royalties. Hence, it is critical for the financially weak state-owned power utilities to have captive coal blocks since there are unable to afford expensive imported coal.
But what the activists behind this smear campaign, who the locals believe are sponsored, don’t understand is that Rajasthan will plunge into severe power crisis if it fails to kickstart coal production from the second phase of PEKB Block where it is not possible to recover coal anymore from the first phase. Also, coal production from Parsa and Kente Extension blocks is critical for Rajasthan’s energy security in the future.
A senior official from Ventura Securities last week said steep electricity prices will not only affect households but also have an impact on the overall economy as well. Especially at a time, when the country is trying to be self-sufficient and self-reliant and is in the process of becoming a stiff competitor to international market giants like China.
As far as environmental hazards go, to say that the economic landscape for coal mining has changed dramatically in the past two decades won’t be incorrect.
According to a report by Coal Ministry in 2021, the government has put major thrust on sustainable development in coal mining and is taking multi-pronged action on both environmental and social fronts.
The Coal Ministry has moved forward with a comprehensive sustainable development plan and has initiated its speedy implementation.
Primary focus is on making immediate social impact through Out of Box measures, besides regular environmental monitoring and mitigation during mining operation.
PEKB, Parsa and Kente Extension blocks will be operated by long-term agreement for Mine Development and Operations (MDO) instead of conventional and inefficient short-term contracts for coal excavation.
In the case of MDO model, the mine developer and operator must ensure “responsible mining” practices. This compels mining companies to address the interests of all the stakeholders, including the local community and the government.
According to Indian legal and regulatory frameworks, the lease holder of the coal mine must compensate for tree felling by even higher afforestation. Both PEKB Block’s second phase and Parsa blocks have received all the approvals from the local communities, state and Central government authorities.
Rajasthan is facing hurdles on account of misinformation spread by a handful of professional activists targeting the development of its coal blocks.
The debaters are arguing that Rajasthan’s coal blocks will affect the biodiversity of Hasdeo forests by undermining Rajasthan’s impressive records in afforestation.
Rajasthan power utility has planted more than eight lakh trees to compensate for the impact on the local ecology to make PEKB Block the model mine in the country.
Rajasthan’s power utility is one of the first mining lease holders to deploy heavy duty tree transplanters to relocate more than 9,000 trees instead of cutting them down. Further, Chhattisgarh’s Forest Department has already planted more than 60 lakh trees.
In absence of desired support from the locals of the mining areas, resourceful activists have launched big budget social media campaigns. In April 2022, project-affected people came together in large numbers to urge the Chhattisgarh government to allow Rajasthan for its mining operations. However, the situation is still far from desirable.
Business
Is Market Correction Over? Sensex Soars By Over 1,900 Points; Nifty Gains Over 2%
The marquee indices closed with monumental gains as Dalal Street recovered with some requisite optimism ahead of the Maharashtra state election results on November 23.
Indian Markets Close With Bumper Gains
On Friday, November 22, the marquee indices closed with monumental gains, as Dalal Street recovered with some requisite optimism ahead of the Maharashtra state election results on November 23.
The BSE Sensex closed for the day’s proceeding with some big numbers. The oldest index in Asia closed with gains of a colossal 1961.32 points or 2.54 per cent. This took the overall value of the index to 79,117.11.
The situation was equally euphoric at the National Stock Exchange. The NSE Nifty closed at 23,830.90, having gained 481.00 points or 2.06 per cent.
In addition, the Nifty Bank index also made gains of over 1.5 per cent. Thebanking index closed with gains of 858.50 points or 1.70 per cent, pushing it beyond the coveted 50K mark, propelling it to 51,231.40.
Gainers and Losers
The days went exceedingly well for most listed companies, the day closed with a green wall. At the BSE end, SBI, Titan and TCS were the biggest gainers with all of the said companies gaining over 4 per cent.
ITC, L&T, Infosys and Reliance also made major gains in excess of 3 per cent by the end of day.
This comes after days, nearly a two-week long period of decline, that marred the market, pushing Sensex below its 80K mark, and Nifty, much below its 25K mark.
It remains to be seen, whether the much discussed market correction that brought about bringing the indices to their actual value, has come to an end or whether sea of red will continue in the time to come.
In addition, it also remains to be seen, whether, the election results for teh critical state of Maharahstra would have an effect on the market, in the next trading week.
Asian Markets
The Asian markets also flourished green with great momentum, as these indices closed on a positive note as well.
Japan’s Nikkei gained 0.68 per cent or 257.68 points, moving towards the 40K mark, closing at 38,283.85.
Another Tokyo-based index, TOPIX, closed at 2,696.53, gaining by 0.51 per cent or 13.72 points.
As we move to China, the story was a lot different, as, contrary to the Indian and Japanese markets, the Chinese markets closed in red.
Hang Seng closed with significant losses in its numbers, closing with a massive fall of 1.89 per cent or 371.14 points, at 19,229.97.
The loss was even greater in mainland China, as the Shanghai-based SSE Composite also ended the day’s trade with deep cuts. The index crumbled by 3.06 per cent or 103.21 points of its value and closed at 3,267.19.
South Korea’s KOSPI was in tandem with other market as closed with some good news. KOSPI closed with an increase of 0.83 per cent or 20.61 points, closing for the day at 2,501.24.
Business
‘Innocent Unless And Until Proven Guilty’: Adani Group Issues Statement In The US Bribery Indictment; Denies Charges, Calls Them Baseless
The Adani Group, which has been at the eye of the storm since the beginning of the new day, has issued a statement in the US Indictment matter.
Adani Denies Charges
The company, in a statement procured by the conglomerate-owned IANS, said, “The allegations made by the US Department of Justice and the US Securities and Exchange Commission against directors of Adani Green are baseless and denied.”
Furthermore, the statement asserted its stance and added, “As stated by the US Department of Justice itself, “the charges in the indictment are allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.” All possible legal recourse will be sought.”
Committed to Highest Standards
The Adani Group further added that it has always upheld and is steadfastly committed to maintaining the highest standards of governance, transparency and regulatory compliance across all jurisdictions of its operations.
US Court Indicts Adani and Co.
The company, in an attempt to assuage stakeholders, partners and employees, said that the company is a law-abiding organisation, fully compliant with all laws.
The storm was kicked off by a post from short-seller group Hindenburg, which shared the news of the US Federal Court’s indictment of Gautam Adani and seven others associated with the company.
Billionaire Gautam Adani has been charged by US prosecutors for allegedly being part of a scheme to pay over USD 250 million (about Rs 2,100 crore) bribe to Indian officials in exchange of favourable terms for solar power contracts.
The press release from the US court elaborated on the allegations and claimed that the company and its leadership had indulged in mass bribery activity, in which the company bribed Indian officials to bag a contract for its Adani Green Energy company.
This in turn led to misleading American investors and global financial investors.
The court reportedly also issued an arrest warrant against Gautam Adani and seven others.
Adani Shares Tank
In the aftermath of the report, Adani Group company shares tanked at Dalal Street. With Adani Enterprises shares hitting the lower circuit, losing 20 per cent of their value. The situation was the same with the other Adani stocks, including Adani Green Energy, which is in the middle of the new storm.
Business
Bharat NCAP Awards 5-Star Crash Test Rating to Mahindra Thar Roxx
The Mahindra Thar Roxx has earned a prestigious 5-star rating in Bharat NCAP’s latest crash tests, reflecting its commitment to safety. Recently evaluated under stringent testing, the SUV excelled with a 31.09 out of 32 score for adult occupant protection and 45 out of 49 for child safety.
Tested in its AX5L and MX3 variants, the Mahindra Thar Roxx delivered notable results, scoring 15.09 out of 16 in the Frontal Offset test and a perfect 16 out of 16 in the Side Impact test. The assessment revealed strong protection for most areas, with adequate ratings for the driver’s chest and lower legs.
The Mahindra Thar Roxx has received high marks for child occupant safety, scoring 24 points in Bharat NCAP tests, along with 12 points for CRS (Child Restraint System) installation and a Vehicle Assessment Score of 9. This top-tier safety rating applies to all Thar Roxx units produced from November 2024 onward, underscoring Mahindra’s dedication to enhancing safety features across its SUV range. Additionally, Mahindra’s XUV400 and 3XO models have also achieved 5-star safety ratings, further emphasizing the automaker’s commitment to robust safety standards.
The Mahindra Thar Roxx offers two interior themes – Classic Ivory and a new Dark Mocha Brown. Comfort and convenience are prioritizing with ventilated seats, leatherette upholstery, a digital driver display, a larger 10.25-inch touchscreen, a high-quality Harmon Kardon sound system, a panoramic sunroof, rear AC vents, wireless connectivity for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a six-way adjustable driver’s seat, combining practicality with luxury.
Mahindra Thar 5-door comes packed with safety and interior upgrades to enhance its appeal. On the safety side, it includes essentials like six airbags, three-point seatbelts for all occupants, hill control features, electronic stability control, and a seatbelt reminder. Advanced driver-assist features, such as autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping support, lane departure alerts, and a 360-degree camera system with blind spot monitoring, add an extra layer of protection.
Mahindra Thar Roxx offers two engine choices: a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol and a 2.2-litre diesel. The petrol engine comes in two setups—150 bhp and 330 Nm of torque for the manual, and 174 bhp with 380 Nm for the automatic. The diesel option is available only with four-wheel drive.
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