Various steps by the government have ensured that coal sector development is sustainable with a focus on resource conservation, societal welfare, environmental protection, and protection of forests and biodiversity. Such efforts have been made by Union Minister of Coal and Mines Shri G. Kishan Reddy in Lok Sabha in which it seems production and ecological responsibility are balancing scales.
The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, and the EIA Notification of 2006 require prior Environmental Clearance before new mines could be opened or capacities increased. Projects involving forest lands require Forestry Clearance under the Van (Sanrakshan evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980. Mines work on clearances and guidelines regarding mining plans and mine closures. These guidelines have identified the necessity of biological reclamation, green belt development, air and water quality management, and third-party monitoring to ensure environmental and social sustainability.
State Pollution Control Boards act as a very vital authority for issuing Consent to Establish (CTE) and Consent to Operate (CTO) under the Air and Water Pollution Acts besides ensuring continuous monitoring of ambient air, effluents, noise, and groundwater quality. The pursuit toward environmental sustainability is led by greening efforts, development of eco-park, efficient usage of mine water, usage of renewable energy, and adoption of blast-free technologies.
Reforms towards self-reliance in coal production are seen in the Mine and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2021; captive mine owners are allowed to sell up to 50% of the output in the open market, a Single Window Clearance Portal, and a Project Monitoring Unit for easy clearances and approvals. This introduced in 2020 the commercial mining auction system that rewards early production and coal gasification with rebates to allow even foreign investment under 100% FDI allowance.
Coal India Limited (CIL) brought in underground mining, continuous minuters, and large-size excavators in open cast mines. SCCL is enhancing the evacuation infrastructure of coal. However, CIL signed MDO for 28 mines. This will, thereby have significantly enhanced the production capacity. There are 24 hitherto closed mines restored to operations which, as indicative, will also be indicative of the industry’s thrust in the optimum usage of available resources.
All these reforms and efforts reflect the government’s tough commitment towards sustainable development within the coal sector, all environmental, social, and economic priorities.