The Union Coal Ministry has said that Coal India Limited’s (CIL) 40 coal blocks in and around the Lemru Elephant Corridor (LEC) will not be auctioned at the request of the Chhattisgarh government.
About Lemru Elephant reserve
- It is located in the Korba district of Chhattisgarh.
- It seeks to give elephants a permanent habitat while also minimising property damage and human-animal conflict.
- The reserve is part of an elephant corridor that connects Lemru (Korba), Badalkhol (Jashpur), Tamorpingla (Surguja).
- Elephant reserves in India- There are 33 notified Elephant Reserves (ERs) in the country, spread over 14 states.
What is Project Elephant?
- It was launched by the Government of India in 1992 as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme with following objectives:
- To protect elephants, their habitat & corridors
- To address issues of man-animal conflict
- Welfare of captive elephants
- Through the Project (being mainly implemented in 16 states, or UTs), the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India, provides financial and technical support to major elephant range states in the country.
