New Delhi: The Coal Ministry has submitted a report to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) highlighting the environmental concern, illegal mining, and rehabilitation of the people living adjacent to the Jharia (Jharkhand) and Raiganj (West Bengal) coalfields after a much-hyped masterplan for implementation of fire, subsidence, rehabilitation, and diversion of surface infrastructure expired its time frame.
A senior official in the Coal Ministry told ETV Bharat that the ministry following the guidance from PMO had set up a committee to review the Jharia and Raiganj master plan. "The committee under the chairmanship of the coal secretary has compiled its report which has already been submitted to the PMO. We are still waiting for the approval and recommendation from the PMO," the official said.
The official from the coal ministry said that the environmental issues in the Jharia and Raniganj coalfields, for which a master plan was sanctioned way back in 2009. Now, a revised master plan was under finalization and is pending with the State government of Jharkhand and West Bengal.
It is to be noted here that all the environmental measures and subsidence control (EMSC) schemes had been merged in the master plan dealing with fire, subsidence, rehabilitation, and diversion of surface infrastructure in Jharia and Raiganj coalfields.
"The plan was sanctioned within the leasehold of Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL) and Eastern Coalfield Limited (ECL) in August 2009 at an investment of Rs 9773.84 crores spread over a period of 10 years. However, the period for implementation for the master plan has already expired its deadline of August 11, 2019, but nothing happened," the official said.
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The environmental issues in the Jharia and Raiganj coalfields, for which the master plan was sanctioned way back in 2009, are yet to get requisite attention. "A revised master plan is under finalization for this purpose and is pending with the Government of Jharkhand and West Bengal. We are also in constant touch with these two state governments for early approval of the project," the official said.
Illegal coal mining, environmental issues, and rehabilitation aspects invoking these two major coal mines was always been an issue of concern for the coal ministry. To avoid any natural mishaps at Jharia and Raiganj coalfields, a master plan was drawn to rehabilitate the affected families to a safer location. Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL) and Eastern Coal Field Limited (ECL)-both subsidiaries of Coal India - have active mines in Jharia and Raiganj.
After the ECL, a subsidiary of Coal India Limited (CIL), abandoned mining pits at Raiganj and inclines spread over 1,500 square kilometers decades ago, the areas were taken over by mafias. And being situated at a remote place, the belt was never regularly monitored by law enforcement agencies. On the other hand, due to unscientific mining methods, large areas of coal mines at Jharia were subjected to mine fires and subsidence which resulted in serious social and environmental issues in the area.
