To increase green cover in and around coalfields, Coal & Lignite Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs), namely Coal India Limited (CIL), NLC India Limited (NLCIL) and Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL), have adopted innovative techniques in addition to traditional methods of plantation. These include three tier plantation, seed ball plantation, Miyawaki planation, High-Tech cultivation, bamboo plantation, and plantation on overburden dumps using drip irrigation, etc. The Coal & Lignite PSUs have created green cover on 10,942 Ha land as part of their plantation and bio-reclamation efforts in and around coal and lignite mining areas during last 5 years.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) prescribes various specific and general conditions related to plantation in the Environmental Clearance (EC) of coal mining projects. These conditions encompass measures for plantation on reclaimed degraded forest and non-forest lands. As per the EC conditions, for reclamation and green belt development, plantations are carried out in coal mining areas, including external overburden dumps and reclaimed degraded forest as well as non-forest lands.

Coal & Lignite PSUs under the guidance of the Ministry of Coal have established 16 Eco-parks / Mine Tourism sites during last 5 years in and around coal mining areas to promote environmental regeneration as well as tourism and recreational activities.

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

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