News Analysis India

Tag: coal mines

  • Study shows 35% jump in green clearances to coal mine expansion projects  

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: At a time when India has pledged to meet 50 percent energy requirement from renewable sources by 2030, an analysis of coal mines granted environmental clearances in 2021 shows a 35 percent increase in capacity over the previous two years and most are expansions of existing mines.

    The analysis of prior environmental clearance grants by the Legal Initiative for Forest and Environment (LIFE), an environmental protection organization, shows an increasing trend in coal production capacity from 2019 to 2021. This comes as the country faced a coal shortage and several power plants were running below capacity generation.

    Almost a 35 percent increase in coal production capacity in the year 2021 was observed majorly due to the capacity expansion projects and this could be the result of the measures taken by the ministry to promote coal production by easing processes and diluting the restrictions for coal mining projects under the paradigm of EIA notification, 2006, it noted.

    The analysis mentions that provisions of public hearings have been significantly relaxed and more and more coal mining expansion projects have been exempted from the requirement of the public hearing. Public hearings are mandated under the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification of 2006 in order to give the community an opportunity to express their concerns and opinion about a proposed developmental activity. However, during 2014 -2015 the provision has been diluted systematically.

    On September 15, 2017, the union environment ministry issued an office memorandum for environmental clearance (EC) which allows capacity expansion of coal mining projects up to 40 percent with the exemption of public hearing. Eighteen such projects (six projects in 2019, five projects in 2020, and seven projects in 2021) of a total of 39.834 MTPA (million tonnes per annum) capacity have been granted prior EC during 2019-21.

    “This issue is of great concern as during 2021, almost 50 percent of the capacity increase of expansion projects coming for EC under the specific provision of EIA Notification, 2006, has been granted EC without any sort of public participation,” it said.

    The forest area diversion for these projects shows a decrease in 2020 with respect to the year 2019 and again increased in 2021. When compared to forest land diverted in 2020, it was found that in 2021 the increase in forest land diversion is 826.96 ha, which is almost equal to the forest land diversion in 2019.

    India has become the second-largest coal consumer in the world in 2020 (IEA 2021). China and India, account for two-thirds of global coal consumption, despite their notion to increase renewables and other low-carbon energy sources (IEA 2021). According to the website of the Ministry of Power, Government of India, almost sixty percent of power is still generated from fossil fuels.

  • Closure of some mines, inundation due to monsoon led to coal crisis: Pralhad Joshi 

    By PTI

    CHATRA (Jharkhand): Coal Minister Pralhad Joshi on Thursday said the closure of some mines, and inundation of a few others due to monsoon led to the crisis but there is no need to panic as the situation is improving.

    Visiting the Ashoka mine of the Central Coalfields Ltd (CCL) at Piparwar in Chatra district of Jharkhand, Joshi said the power plants in the country will continue to receive the required amount of coal.

    “We are witnessing an improvement now,” he said, asked about the current situation.

    The minister held discussions with officials of CCL and Eastern Coalfields Ltd (ECL) on the prevailing situation.

    “We can produce two million tonnes of coal per day,” he said, asserting the need for producing more coal.

    Closure of some coal mines and inundation of a few others due to monsoon led to the hindrance in coal supply to power plants, Joshi told reporters.

    The minister also discussed the issue related to the availability of land for mining at the meeting.

    A solution will be found with the cooperation of all, including the district administration, he said.

  • Stop posing for cameras, help miners trapped in Meghalaya coal mine: Rahul urges Modi

    Congress president Rahul Gandhi Wednesday made a fervent appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to save 15 people trapped in a flooded coal mine in Meghalaya since December 13, alleging the government was not organising high-pressure pumps for the rescue operation.

    He accused Modi of instead posing for cameras and strutting on the Bogibeel bridge on the mighty Brahmaputra river in neighbouring Assam after inaugurating it on Tuesday.

    “15 miners have been struggling for air in a flooded coal mine for two weeks.

    “Meanwhile, PM struts about on Bogibeel Bridge posing for cameras.

    “His government refuses to organise high pressure pumps for the rescue.

    “PM please save the miners,” Gandhi tweeted.

    He said this amid reports that the operation to rescue the 15 miners is hampered by lack of equipment. The miners were trapped after water from the nearby Lytein river suddenly gushed into the pit.

    A senior Meghalaya home department official has said the police force in East Jaintia Hills district, where the mine is located, do not have adequate personnel to deal with the problem.