Coal India Limited (CIL) has planned to develop 36 new coal projects in next 5 years. The Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) has planned to open 7 new coal mines in the next 5 years. NLC India Limited (NLCIL) has planned to open 2 new coal mines.

Ministry of Coal has allocated a total of 175 coal blocks. Out of these, 65 coal blocks have received mine opening permissions of which 54 are presently operational. These coal blocks are located across different states and regions of India.

The beneficial impacts on the lives of ordinary people due to coal mining projects are as under:

• Create Direct and Indirect Employment.
• Social and Economic Development of the Project peripherals.
• Infrastructure development of project area.

The coal mining projects require extensive land, often including forested areas, leading to displacement of habitation, loss of livelihoods with impact on environment.

However, for mitigation of environmental impacts, a detailed Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is conducted for each project, considering both pre and post-mining conditions. Based on the EIA, an Environment Management Plan (EMP) is prepared. Environmental Appraisal Committee (EAC) under MoEF&CC reviews the EMP and grants Environmental Clearance (EC). Public consultation, including hearings, is also part of the EC process, as per the 2006 EIA notification. MoEF&CC imposes specific conditions and mitigation measures when granting EC, which are implemented in phases and compliances duly reported as per laid down stipulations. As far as acquisition and possession of land is concerned, compensation for the same is provided as per the extant R & R Policy of the Company. Further, since land is a State subject, the State R & R policy is also taken into consideration.

Each coal mine has a defined mine capacity in Million Tonne per Annum (MTPA), which is called as the Peak Rated Capacity. Year-wise production schedule is envisaged as per the approved mining plan. The coal produced by the States during last 3 years and current FY 2024-25 is given below:

 

State Wise Production of Coal in last Three Years and FY 2024-25 (upto Oct.'24)
(Qty. in MT)
States	2021-22	2022-23	2023-24	2024-25 (upto Oct'24) (Provisional)
Assam	0.028	0.200	0.200	0.120
Chhattisgarh	154.120	184.895	207.255	101.611
Jammu & Kashmir	0.011	0.010	0.008	0.007
Jharkhand	130.106	156.483	191.158	102.872
Maharashtra	56.528	63.620	69.282	91.783
Madhya Pradesh	137.974	146.029	159.228	33.303
Odisha	185.068	218.981	239.402	142.128
Telangana	67.232	69.637	72.521	35.214
Uttar Pradesh	18.073	20.540	21.510	13.450
West Bengal	29.069	32.796	37.262	17.078
All India	778.210	893.191	997.826	537.566

New coal mining projects may increase water consumption depending on the specific project and its technology. Water consumption is project-specific and it depends upon the geometry of the Mine, like Project area, Depth of the Mine, Mine design like number of Benches, its width etc., technology used for mining such as machineries used for excavation, transportation etc. Generally, water is used for dust suppression, Domestic utilization, etc. No Objection Certificate (NOC) for each project is taken from Central Ground Water Authority, Ministry of Water Resources, Government of India. NOC is granted based on detailed Hydrogeological Report and Groundwater Modelling.

This information was given by Union Minister of Coal and Mines Shri G. Kishan Reddy in a written reply in Rajya Sabha.

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