The Bunder diamond mine project has been in the news ever since Essel Mining & Industries Limited (EMIL) won the project in Chhatarpur, Madhya Pradesh. It faces flak from locals and environmentalists alike, and for good reason. Protests have sprung up against the proposed block as once the project is operational, it can become one of the biggest diamond mines in Asia. The company plans to execute the mining lease by the end of 2022 financial year. According to estimates, the Bunder diamond block has about 34 million carats of rough diamonds and to procure these, over 200,000 trees will have to be felled.
So exactly what is at stake?
The project falls under the Bundelkhand region, which is a water-stressed region. Experts say that this water shortage will worsen once the water requirement for the mining process begins. According to the project’s pre-feasibility report, the water requirement would be about 5.9 million cubic meters per day. The water authority has already declared the Buxwaha region semi-critical.
Add to the water shortage, the felling of a significant number of trees is going to make for a huge cause for concern. Loss of habitat, increased greenhouse gases, and soil erosion causing flooding are only the tip of the myriad of problems the region will face. The project is not environmentally sustainable, to say the least. It’s repercussions will reach far and wide, affecting most brutally the locals and the entire region’s ecosystem in the longer run.
