To
facilitate objective, informed and transparent decision on diversion of forest
land for coal mining projects, Ministry of Environment & Forests (MoEF) on the suggestion from the Ministry of Coal jointly
undertaken a study in nine major coal fields, namely the Talcher,
IB Valley, Mandiraigarh, Sohagpur,
Wardha, Singrauli, North Karanpura, West Bokaro and Hasdeo and the coal blocks located in these coalfields were
classified into following two categories:
(a)
Unfragmented forest landscapes having gross forest
cover (GFC) more than 30 percent and weighted forest cover (WFC) more than 10
percent, named as category-A or ‘No-Go’ area.
(b)
Fragmented
forest landscapes having GFC less than 30 % and WFC less than 10%, named as
category-B or ‘Go’ area.
Detail of extent of area covered under
the said study and the area classified as ‘Go’ and ‘No-Go’ etc. is annexed.
The Ministry of Coal is of the view that the MoEF
should consider all coal blocks without reference to Go- No Go areas, as per
the current statutes and stipulations for according forest clearances. The MoEF is however, of the view that classification of coal
blocks into ‘Go’ –‘No Go’ category, though has only indicative value, the
exercise undertaken by the MoEF on the initiative of
Ministry of Coal has clearly prioritized the forest areas that may be
considered for diversion for coal mining by causing least possible damage to
the forests and wildlife and hence, it needs to be taken into account while
granting approvals under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980.
The Cabinet Committee on
Infrastructure while considering the note dated 26.11.2010 and supplementary
note dated 10.12.2010 from the Ministry of Coal regarding “Need for making
available more coal bearing areas for enhancing coal production” in its meeting
held on 13.01.2011, directed that all pertinent issues may, in the first
instance, be considered by a Group of Ministers (GoM),
and thereafter, the matter be brought before the Committee. The Cabinet
Secretariat vide their Memorandum dated 3rd
February 2011 constituted a GoM under the
Chairmanship of Shri Pranab Mukherjee,
Minister of Finance. Matter is still under consideration of the GoM.
ANNEXURE
Details
of the extent of area covered and area classified as ‘no go’ etc. as per a
study undertaken jointly by the Ministry of Coal and the Ministry of
Environment and Forests in nine major coalfields in the country
|
Sl.
No.
|
Coalfield
|
State
|
Total Blocks
|
Blocks classified as ‘No Go’
|
Blocks classified as ‘Go’
|
|
No. of Blocks
|
Area (ha.)
|
No. of Blocks
|
Area (ha.)
|
No. of Blocks
|
Area (ha.)
|
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
7
|
8
|
9
|
|
1
|
Talcher
|
Orissa
|
82
|
80,400
|
07
|
10,200
|
75
|
70,200
|
|
2
|
IB
Valley
|
Orissa, Chhattisgarh
|
49
|
51,600
|
16
|
21,300
|
33
|
30,300
|
|
3
|
Mandiraigarh
|
Chhattisgarh
|
80
|
1,18,200
|
48
|
77,900
|
32
|
40,300
|
|
4
|
Sohagpur
|
Chhattisgarh/ Madhya Pradesh
|
110
|
1,27,550
|
12
|
22,550
|
98
|
105,000
|
|
5
|
Wardha
|
Maharashtra
|
113
|
82,900
|
09
|
34,900
|
104
|
48,000
|
|
6
|
Singrauli
|
Madhya
Pradesh/ Uttar Pradesh
|
46
|
66,800
|
20
|
31,000
|
26
|
35,800
|
|
7
|
North Karanpura
|
Jharkhand
|
63
|
60,600
|
12
|
21,300
|
51
|
39,300
|
|
8
|
West Bokaro
|
Jharkhand
|
39
|
14,800
|
9
|
3,300
|
30
|
11,500
|
|
9
|
Hasdeo
|
Chhattisgarh
|
20
|
45,883
|
20
|
45,883
|
0
|
0
|
|
Total
|
602
|
6,48,733
|
153
|
2,68,333
|
449
|
3,80,400
|
This Information was given by the Minister of State for
Environment and Forests (I/C)Smt
Jayanthi Natarajan in a written reply to a question by Shri Parimal Nathwani in Rajya Sabha Today.
KP