In the heart of West Bengal’s industrial powerhouse, where smokestacks pierce the horizon and gravel trucks thunder through dusty roads, a small patch of forest is fighting for its life. The forest lands of Kamalpur, Hetedoba, Bansgora, and Parulia mouzas in Paschim Bardhaman district—covering about 548 hectares—are being ravaged by illegal gravel mining. More than half of this land, once recorded as unclassed forest, now bears the scars of unchecked extraction.
But this is not just another story of resource plunder. It is also a story of hope, resistance, and ecological importance in one of India’s most industrialised regions.
On October 14, 2025, a glimmer of protection arrived. The West Bengal Forest Department declared 166.60 hectares of forest in Hetedoba Mouza under the Ukhra Forest Range as Protected Forest (vide Order No. I/699372/2025). The declaration cited the presence of Schedule I species under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 — including the Indian Grey Wolf (Canis lupus pallipes), Golden Jackal (Canis aureus), and Bengal Fox (Vulpes bengalensis) — as a primary reason for legal protection.
This official notification, however, came after decades of degradation. For years, gravel miners have operated with impunity, turning forest floors into craters and choking local streams with sediment. What was once a mosaic of sal and acacia patches has turned into a scarred landscape of pits and dust.
Forest officials estimate that nearly 50 per cent of the 548.21 hectares in these four mouzas have been affected by illegal mining. The ecological loss is immense — but so is the resolve to restore it.
Paschim Bardhaman is among the most industrialised districts in eastern India, housing the Durgapur Steel Plant, thermal power stations, and coal mines. Durgapur currently ranks among India’s top 40 most polluted cities, according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) assessments.
Amidst this industrial sprawl, any surviving forest patch plays a crucial role in carbon sequestration, dust reduction, and maintaining microclimatic stability. Local forest officers have identified nearly 100 hectares within the newly protected area as immediately suitable for plantation and habitat restoration. Such an initiative could significantly improve local air quality and act as a green buffer for Durgapur city.
But beyond the human need for cleaner air, there is a deeper ecological reason for restoration.
Just a few kilometres away, in Madhaiganj, a pack of 8-10 Indian Grey Wolves is known to breed, one of the few confirmed wolf populations in southern West Bengal. If the Hetedoba–Kamalpur forests are restored, they could serve as a critical rendezvous and dispersal ground for this vulnerable species, ensuring genetic continuity across fragmented habitats.
Despite being hemmed in by industries, highways, and mines, this landscape harbours a surprising variety of wildlife. The first photographic evidence of a Fishing Cat (Prionailurus viverrinus) from the plateau fringes — previously thought restricted to the Gangetic plains — was captured here.
Other mammals recorded include Golden Jackal, Bengal Fox, Jungle Cat, Small Indian Civet, Indian Hare, Wild Boar, Indian Crested Porcupine, Indian Grey Mongoose, and Small Indian Mongoose. Raptors such as Jerdon’s Baza, Amur Falcon, and White-eyed Buzzard frequent the area, indicating healthy prey diversity and open woodland habitats.
Even more intriguing, the Indian Striped Hyena (Hyaena hyaena) is known to occur just 15–20 km west of the site, suggesting that this region forms part of a wider carnivore corridor linking the industrial plains to the forested tracts of Bankura and Birbhum.
“This is an extraordinary case of biodiversity persisting in the middle of an industrial wasteland,” says a senior forest official in Durgapur. “If we lose this patch, we lose an entire ecological narrative of resilience.”
“We carried out a DGPS survey to confirm the land’s status, and our proactive push has kept illegal mining at bay for a year now. But this fight isn’t over — we need stronger support from every corner to turn this barren stretch green again. If this patch is lost, we lose not just land, but an entire story of ecological resilience.”
At the centre of this battle are the Santal tribal communities of Maredipara Joint Forest Management Committee (JFMC) under Bansgora Mouza. Two decades ago, these villagers had undertaken plantation drives in collaboration with the Forest Department. Those trees were later felled by illegal gravel operators.
Today, the same communities are being lured into the mining economy — paid just Rs200–Rs300 a day to dig gravel from their own forest. Yet, many are now resisting. They understand that the forest is not just their livelihood, but also a part of their cultural identity.
Under the Forest Rights Act, 2006, they are entitled to certain forest-based benefits. Many of them have expressed willingness to resume plantation work if the area is secured from illegal activities. Notably, these villagers have stopped performing hunting rituals during the traditional Shikar Utsav, signalling a cultural shift toward conservation.
“The gravel owners come with money and pressure,” says a Santal elder from Maredipara. “But the forest gives us life. We want to see trees here again.”
Forest officials on the ground are working with limited manpower and resources to prevent illegal extraction. Check posts have been erected, and drone surveillance has been introduced in parts of the range. However, the economic clout of gravel traders continues to challenge enforcement.
“It’s a classic conflict of short-term profit versus long-term sustainability,” says an environmental researcher working in the region. “On one hand, you have a fragile ecosystem with wolves, jackals, and raptors; on the other, there’s a thriving underground mining economy feeding the construction boom of Asansol-Durgapur.”
Experts suggest that the 100-hectare restoration plan could serve as a model for community-led ecological recovery in a mining landscape. Mixed native plantations, combined with soil stabilisation and community co-management, can restore vegetation and wildlife within a decade.
Local NGOs, educational institutions, and corporate CSR initiatives could play a decisive role by funding sapling procurement, labour support, and long-term monitoring.
“This is the last green lung of the Durgapur coal-steel corridor,” says a local conservationist. “If citizens, NGOs, and policymakers unite, it can become a living example of how industry and ecology can coexist.”
The story of Kamalpur–Hetedoba–Bansgora–Parulia is more than a local conservation issue. It symbolises India’s broader dilemma — how to reconcile rapid industrial growth with the rights of nature and communities.
As the battle between the Forest Department’s goodwill and the illegal mining lobby continues, the need for collective citizen action becomes clear.
Because somewhere in the industrial haze of Paschim Bardhaman, wolves are still howling, and a forest is still waiting to breathe again.
Arkajyoti Mukherjee is Secretary at Durgapur Wildlife Information and Nature Guide Society (WINGS)
Manish Kumar Chattopadhyay is Joint Secretary at WINGS
Views expressed are the authors’ own and don’t necessarily reflect those of Down To Earth