Union Minister of Coal and Mines Shri G. Kishan Reddy chaired a meeting of Parliamentary Consultative Committee of Ministry of Coal on 19.12.2024 in Parliament Annexe, New Delhi on Sustainability and Green Initiatives undertaken by the coal sector. Minister of State for Coal and Mines Shri Satish Chandra Dubey also attended the meeting.

Among the members of Parliamentary Consultative Committee, Shri Surendra Prasad Yadav, Thiru Arun Nehru, Shri Bidyut Baran Mahato, Dr. Rajesh Mishra, Shri Brijmohan Agrawal, Shri Bunty Vivek Sahu, Smt. Kamlesh Jangde, Shri Bharat Singh Kushwah, Shri Ganesh Singh, Shri Babu Singh Kushwaha, Shri Chhotelal, Shri Sanjay Uttamrao Deshmukh, Shri Tangella Uday Srinivas, Shri Jagannath Sarkar, Shri Manish Jaiswal, Shri Rudra Narayan Pany, Dr. M K Vishnu Prasad, Dr Kalyan Vaijinathrao Kale, Smt. Himadri Singh, Shri Sukanta Kumar Panigrahi, Shri Meda Raghunadha Reddy, Shri Ravi Chandra Vaddiraju, Shri Samirul Islam and Shri Khiru Mahto participated in the meeting. Senior officers of Ministry of Coal, CMD (CIL), CMD (NLCIL) and CMDs of CIL subsidiaries were also present.

In his opening remarks, Minister Shri G. Kishan Reddy underscored the coal sector's pivotal role in India's journey toward energy security and economic growth. While acknowledging the global emphasis on renewable energy, he highlighted coal's indispensable role in supporting India’s development goals and sustainability initiatives. He also informed the Committee members about the sustainable development activities adopted by Coal/Lignite PSUs where coal production goes hand in hand with environmental conservation, societal well-being, and biodiversity protection. He further apprised the Committee members that environmental protection during mining activities remains a core focus area for coal and lignite Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs). He assured that these PSUs not only ensure compliance with the statutory provisions outlined in environmental laws but also actively exceed these requirements to uphold and enhance environmental standards in and around mining areas. Minister reiterated the government’s commitment towards sustainable development and achieving the target of Net Zero emissions by 2070, as announced by Prime Minister.

Minister of State for Coal & Mines Shri Satish Chandra Dubey emphasized that environmentally sustainable initiatives are a testament to the Ministry’s commitment to environmental stewardship and societal well-being.

Coal Secretary Shri Vikram Dev Dutt briefed that the Coal/ Lignite PSUs are undertaking several Sustainable and Environment Friendly Initiatives in a planned and systematic manner. These initiatives also directly or indirectly align with Mission LiFE. He affirmed the Ministry's dedication to balancing India's energy demands with its climate goals.

During the meeting, a presentation was made by Joint Secretary, Ministry of Coal highlighting various Sustainability & Green Initiatives being undertaken by Coal/Lignite PSUs such as afforestation/ bio-reclamation, accredited compensatory afforestation, participation in green credit program, utilisation of mine water for community purposes, development of eco-parks/mine tourism sites, renewable energy, energy efficiency measures, dust suppression measures, First Mile Connectivity Projects, etc.

All present Committee Members participated enthusiastically in the discussion and appreciated the efforts being undertaken by the Ministry and Coal/Lignite PSUs towards environment care and benefits of the society. The members acknowledged the good works done on environmentally sustainable activities in the Coal/Lignite PSUs. The committee members provided valuable insights and suggestions, contributing to the formulation of policies that promote sustainable development in the coal sector. It was also suggested by committee members that best practices of sustainability may be adopted by the coal companies to benefit the local communities.

Union Minister Shri G. Kishan Reddy expressed gratitude to the Committee Members for their active participation and assured that their valuable suggestions would be implemented by the Ministry and Coal/Lignite PSUs. He emphasized that these efforts would ensure the coal sector remains a key driver of economic growth while aligning with India’s vision of a sustainable and green future.

 

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Sunil Kumar Tiwari

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