The News Minute | August 26, 2014 | 02:00 pm ISTVillagers of the Mahan forest in Madhya Pradesh are being threatened to accept the implementation of a $3.2 billion coal project proposed by two of the country’s top mining firms, said Greenpeace India on Monday.Villagers led by environmental activist group Greenpeace project protested against the two companies, Mahan Coal Ltd (MCL) - which is jointly owned by Essar Energy and the Aditya Birla-owned Hindalco Industries Ltd and negated the the idea to mine part of the 1,000-square-km (385-square-mile) forests in Madhya Pradesh for coal. The 3500 member strong population of Amelia will vote to decide on the project in the coming months."The Mahan coal mine is not only placing the climate at risk, but will also destroy the livelihoods of thousands of people who depend on the Mahan forest for survival," said Greenpeace India head Priya Pillai in a firstbiz report."The ongoing crackdown against forest rights activists will not deter our resolve but only makes us more determined to save the Mahan forest."Activists claim that MCL employees have been threatening villagers opposing the project and hate speeches against Greenpeace are being carried out by local politicians.MCL has refuted Greenpeace’s allegations saying that “We strongly condemn continuous misrepresentation of facts by some persons and institutions having vested interests; and misguiding and misleading the villagers and general public by them," according to MCL's Chief Executive Officer Ramakant Tiwari.MCL’s project will fell hundreds of thousands of trees and affect the livelihoods of 14,000 people directly dependent on the forest. However, MCL says that about 4500 people will be affected , but they will be compensated.Only one percent of Mahan will be cleared and reforestation will be undertaken, company officials add.The voting process is second in line - the first vote was already conducted last March 2013, but forgery in consenting signatures was exposed by Greenpeace and villagers. The vote against the Mahan project if seen through could not only decide the Essar project’s future but also give new voice to hundreds of other anti-mining campaigns across the country