Crisis Over Water, Forest and Land; Youth Leader Rishi Shastri Demands Resignation of Forest Minister
Published on: December 19, 2025
By: BTNI
Location: Rajnandgaon, India
Water, forests and land form the core natural identity and greatest heritage of Chhattisgarh, but these very resources are now facing an unprecedented crisis under the current government’s policies. Unchecked deforestation and the recurring deaths of protected wildlife have put the state’s forest and environmental protection system under serious scrutiny.
Following the suspicious deaths of a tiger in Surajpur and a leopard in Khairagarh, concerns have intensified over the safety of forests and wildlife in the state. These incidents, critics argue, are not isolated or accidental but point towards a deeper and systemic failure of governance and forest management.
Reacting sharply to these developments, youth leader and former councillor Rishi Shastri launched a strong attack on the government. He said that a government which claims to protect water, forests and land has, during its own tenure, presided over large-scale tree felling and the killing of wildlife. “This is not mere negligence; it is the result of policy failure and political protection,” he alleged.
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Shastri stated that when even protected wildlife species are not safe, the responsibility squarely lies with the Forest Department and the Forest Minister. He demanded that Forest Minister Kedar Kashyap take moral responsibility for the situation and resign from his post immediately.
He further alleged that in the name of development, mining and large-scale projects, forest areas are being continuously destroyed. Shrinking forests are depriving wildlife of their natural habitats, directly impacting protected species such as tigers and leopards.
Warning of grave consequences, Rishi Shastri said that if such policies continue, the situation may become so alarming that the country could one day be forced to import wildlife from other nations. He emphasised that the issue is no longer limited to environmental activists alone, but has become a serious concern linked to the future of the common people.
