MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COAL (SHRI PRATIK PRAKASHBAPU PATIL)
(a) & (b): There is a robust environmental legislation in place
which governs mining operation and obtaining clearance to Environmental
Management Plans is mandatory before taking up mining operation. This
ensures sustainability in the long run.Coal India Limited (CIL) is
following sustainable mining practices in its mines/projects of all
subsidiary companies including Jharkhand. Further, Corporate Environmental
policy is being followed in all subsidiary companies of CIL including
Subsidiaries located in Jharkhand. The various sub-systems of mining
activities are in consonance with this policy to obviate environmental
degradation due to mining operation and are as under:
1) Coal, being a non-renewal energy source, extraction is planned
prudently to meet national requirement. The projects are designed on
the principle of Sustainable Development with due regard to safety,
conservation and quality in eco-friendly manner at the planning stage
itself.
2) Latest mining equipment with higher & optimum capacity and latest
mining technologies are being adopted.
3) EIA and EMP for all mines and other industrial units are formulated
to mitigate pollution on the sustainable mining principles as per
directives MoEF.
4) Detailed Mine Closure Plans are being prepared for all existing
operating mines/new projects as per the MOC (Ministry of Coal) guidelines
for sustainable mining .Reclamation of mined out areas are being done as
per the land-end-use-plan as stipulated in the approved Environment
Management Plan and Mine Closure Plan by technical reclamation and biological
reclamation. External dumps are also biologically reclaimed.
5) Extensive plantation is being carried out on abandoned / degraded land / mined
out areas. The afforestation is being preferably done by the local species
which existed before mining.
(c) & (d): As reported by CIL, illegal mining of coal is carried out
stealthily and clandestinely. As such, it is not possible to specify the
exact quantum of coal stolen and losses incurred on account of illegal
mining of coal.
However, as per raids conducted by security personnel as well as joint
raids with the law and order authorities of the concerned State Government,
the quantity of coal recovered and its approximate value during the last
three years and the current year are as under:
ILLEGAL MINING OF COAL SUBSIDIARYWISE AND STATE-WISE
Co. State 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 (upto June 2012)(Prov)
Qty. Approx. Qty. Approx. Qty. Approx. Qty. Approx. Recov Value Recov Value Recov Value Recov Value -ered (Rs. -ered (Rs. -ered (Rs. -ered (Rs. (te) Lakh) (te) Lakh) (te) Lakh) (te) Lakh)
ECL WB 5763.00 67.880 5650.00 113.000 644.00 12.880 0.00 0.000 Jharkhand 2398.00 28.42 1401 26.02 23.42 0.468 0.00 0.000 8161.00 96.300 7051.00 139.020 667.42 13.348 0.00 0.000
BCCL Jharkhand 2127.18 35.932 1309.39 25.031 1182.30 23.918 227.73 4.558 WB 4.00 0.080 10.97 0.219 0.00 0.000 0.00 0.000 2131.18 36.012 1320.36 25.250 1182.30 23.918 227.73 4.558
CCL Jharkhand 30.00 0.300 15.00 0.150 62.00 0.620 0.00 0.000
NCL UP/MP 0.00 0.000 0.00 0.000 0.00 0.000 0.00 0.000
WCL Maharashtra 0.00 0.000 0.00 0.000 0.00 0.000 0.00 0.000 MP 0.00 0.000 0.00 0.000 0.00 0.000 0.00 0.000 0.00 0.000 0.00 0.000 0.00 0.000 0.00 0.000
SECL MP 0.00 0.000 0.00 0.000 0.00 0.000 0.00 0.000 Chattisgarh 0.00 0.000 0.00 0.000 0.00 0.000 0.00 0.000 0.00 0.000 0.00 0.000 0.00 0.000 0.00 0.000
MCL Orissa 0.00 0.000 0.00 0.000 0.00 0.000 0.00 0.000
NEC Assam 0.00 0.000 0.00 0.000 203.86 9.930 0.00 0.000
Coal India 10322. 132.612 8386.36 164.420 2115.58 47.817 227.73 4.558 18
(e): Law & Order is a matter of State Government, hence primarily;
it is the responsibility of the State/District administration to take
necessary deterrent action to stop/curb illegal mining. However, the
steps taken by coal companies to prevent illegal mining are as under:
i. Rat holes created by illegal mining are being dozed off and filled
up with stone and debris wherever possible.
ii. Concrete walls have been erected on the mouth of the abandoned
mines to prevent access and illegal activities in these areas.
iii. Regular raids/checks being conducted by security personnel and
static security pickets including armed guards during the night hours are
being deployed at pithead depots.
iv. Surprise raids/checks being conducted jointly by security personnel
and law and order authorities of the concerned State Government.
v. Fencing is being constructed at the various illegal mining sites
along with displaying of signboards mentioning “Dangerous and Prohibited
Place.â€
vi. Dumping of the overburden is being done on the outcrop zones,
which are not required to be mined.
vii. Collection of intelligence reports about illegal coal depots and
illegal movement of coal and informing district authorities of the same
for taking preventive action.
viii. Installation of check-posts at vulnerable points to check
transport documents;
ix. Training of existing security personnel, refresher training of
CISF personnel and basic training of new recruits in security discipline
pfor strengthening the security setup;
x. The coal companies maintain close liaison with the State authorities.
xi. Committee/task force has been constituted at different level
(block level, sub-divisional level, district level, state level) at
some subsidiaries of CIL to monitor different aspects of illegal mining.
xii. In order to check the menace of illegal mining of coal the
Central Government has constituted a committee consisting of MOS (Coal)
and others to look into the various aspects of illegal mining of coal.
