By Ashish Kurl
Bhopal: Alarm is growing in Madhya Pradesh’s Agar Malwa district, where extensive forest clearance for a solar power project has allegedly forced hundreds of deer, leopards and other wildlife to flee their habitats. The development has reignited debate over the fragile balance between renewable energy expansion and ecological preservation.
Rajesh Arya Jaiswal, President of the MOEPFCC Promotion Council of India, has accused AB Energising Solutions Pvt. Ltd. of undertaking widescale deforestation without securing mandatory clearances from the Forest Department. He alleged that thousands of trees, including valuable sandalwood, were cut illegally in recent months, inflicting what he described as “irreversible damage” to the ecosystem.
Jaiswal further claimed that land listed under khasara number 754, classified as forest, was encroached upon for the project. He added that about 400 bighas of fertile, biodiversity-rich forest were purchased by Oyster Green Hybrid One Pvt. Ltd.—a sister concern of the same company—from some 20 local farmers.
“Work on the solar facility has been underway for more than a year, yet several crucial approvals — including permission for an approach road through forest areas — were either delayed or never obtained. The company has clearly violated environmental safeguards,” Jaiswal asserted.
He noted that repeated petitions had been submitted to the Forest Department and the District Collector. A delegation from his organisation also raised the matter with the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) in Bhopal, but, he alleged, these objections were largely ignored, allowing work to continue unchecked.
When contacted, Agar Malwa’s Divisional Forest Officer, Virendra Patel, said the disputed land comes under the Revenue Department’s jurisdiction. “The Revenue Department may have issued the required No Objection Certificate (NOC) for tree cutting and road construction,” he remarked, adding that his office had limited authority in the matter. District Collector Priti Yadav, when approached, said she would examine the relevant files before commenting.
Efforts by this correspondent to seek responses from General Manager Manish Goyal and Project Manager Azad Singh Rathore were unsuccessful, with calls reportedly unanswered or disconnected.
The controversy underscores the complex tension between the drive for renewable energy and the need to safeguard the environment. While solar power is widely recognised as vital to reducing dependence on fossil fuels, environmentalists warn that unchecked land acquisition and deforestation threaten ecological balance and wildlife habitats. Local communities and conservation groups are now urging a comprehensive review of the project’s approvals, alongside strict accountability for alleged violations, cautioning that Agar Malwa’s forests may already have suffered lasting damage.
