Coal news and updates

Of the 835 coal blocks surveyed, the environment ministry’s Forest Survey of India (FSI) has found that mining would have to be partly restricted in 417 to safeguard the rivers. The coal ministry has objected to this and asked that the partial ban of mining should be limited to only 49 coal blocks.

 

In order to pare down the list of restricted coal blocks, the coal ministry has asked the environment ministry to once again dilute the inviolate forest area policy, which has been in the works since the National Democratic Alliance (NDA)  government came to power.

 

This time, the coal ministry wants mining to be allowed till river boundaries, leaving just 15 metres of protected area. It has asked that protection of waterways be limited to first order streams and not the larger streams and rivers. First order streams are the primary set of waterways in upper reaches of mountains that join as tributaries to make larger rivers and streams. It has asked that existing operational mines be left out of the purview of such restrictions.

Business Standard reviewed correspondence between the environment ministry, the coal ministry, the Forest Survey of India and the Central Mine Planning and Design Institute Limited (CMPDIL) on the proposed dilutions. One such round of dilutions took place earlier and was reported in media.

 

The concept of inviolate forest area policy took root during the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) regime, as a revised version of the erstwhile ‘No-go’ forest policy.

 

The inviolate forest policy requires that green areas, which are too dense or valuable for biodiversity and those that are important for maintaining the health of Indian rivers, be kept safe from mining activities. These areas are to be identified through a scientific mapping exercise, based on fixed parameters like forest density, biodiversity values and hydrological values of forests. According to the policy, a full ban is to be imposed on coal blocks that largely fall inside these areas and for other blocks, that fall only partially in the inviolate forest areas, restrictions are to be imposed in the overlapping parts.

Source: Busienss Standerd