The report highlights efforts of PSUs to minimize the environmental footprints of coal mining through sustained reclamation and afforestation activities across areas in and around mining areas.
Key Findings
- Coal Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) have undertaken extensive afforestation and ecological restoration projects.
- They have adopted innovative techniques, such as seed ball plantation, seed casting via drones, and Miyawaki plantation, to increase green cover in coal regions.
- Miyawaki plantation involves planting native trees, shrubs, and groundcover plants within every square meter.
Other Greening Initiatives In the Mining Sector
- Mine closure guidelines issued by the Ministry of Coal require reclamation and rehabilitation of mined-out land.
- Environment Impact Assessment and Environment Management Plan for Mining.
- Forest Clearance (FC) must be obtained from the MoEF&CC to diverge forest land for non-forest purposes.
- India’s NDC commitment to create an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent through additional forest and tree cover by 2030.
Environmental Consequences of Coal Mining
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