No.J-11015/197/2005-IA.II(M)
Government
of
Ministry
of Environment & Forests
Paryavaran
Bhawan,
C.G.O.Complex,
Dated:
To
Chief
General Manger (Civil/Env./Forest),
M/s South Eastern Coalfields Ltd.,
Bilaspur,
Chhattisgarh.
Sub: Expansion of Palkimara Underground Coal
Mine Project (from 0.07 MTPA to 0.20MTPA) of M/s South Eastern Coalfields Ltd.
(SECL), located in village Palkimara, Tehsil Mahendragarh, District
Sir,
This has reference to Ministry
of Coal’s letter No. 43011/15/2002-CPAM dated 24.03.2003 and your letter No.
SECL/BSP/ENVT./2005/EMP/323 dated 27.04.2005 submitting the application on the
aforesaid project and to M/s Coal India Ltd.’s letter No. CIL/DLI/ENV/2005/32
dated 01.04.2005 and 27.04.2005 and your subsequent letter dated 21.11.2006 on
the above-mentioned subject. The Ministry of Environment & Forests has
considered your application. It has been
noted that the project is for expansion
in production of the existing Palkimara Underground Coalmine Project (UGP).
The total lease area is 495.27, 173.27
ha is forestland and 322 ha is private land. Forestry clearance has not
been obtained. Of the total lease area, area for UG mining is 493ha, and on the
surface, an area of 1.77ha is for infrastructure, 1 ha is for mineral storage. No
CHP or coal washery exists within the ML area. There area no National Parks,
Wildlife Sanctuary, Biosphere Reserves found in the 10 km buffer zone. The mine
lease is found within the
2. The
Ministry of Environment & forests hereby accords environmental clearance
for the above-mentioned Palkimara
Underground Coal Mine Project of M/s
SECL for production of coal at 0.20 MTPA rated capacity under Section 12 of
the Environmental Impact Assessment Notification, 2006 and subsequent
amendments thereto and Section 1 of MOEF Circular dated 13.10.2006 subject to
the compliance of the terms and conditions mentioned below:
A. Specific
Conditions
(i) All the conditions stipulated by
SPCB in their NOC shall be effectively implemented.
(ii) Mining shall not be
carried in forestland for which forestry clearance has not been obtained under
the provisions of FC Act, 1980.
(iii) Sufficient coal
pillars shall be left unextracted around the air shaft (within the subsidence
influence area) to protect from any damage from subsidence, if any.
(iv) Solid barriers shall
be left below the roads falling within the blocks to avoid any damage to the
roads.
(v) No depillaring operation shall be
carried out below the township/colony.
(vi) Depression due to
subsidence resulting in water accumulating within the low lying areas shall be
filled up or drained out by cutting drains.
(vii) While
extracting panels in the lower seam, all water bodies in the subsidence area
shall be drained. Dewatering of the old goaves of the upper seam shall be
continued as long as the lower seam is worked to prevent accumulation of large
water bodies over working area.
(viii) Regular monitoring of
subsidence movement on the surface over and around the working area and impact
on natural drainage pattern, water bodies, vegetation, structure, roads, and
surroundings should be continued till movement ceases completely. In case of
observation of any high rate of subsidence movement, appropriate effective corrective
measures should be taken to avoid loss of life and material. Cracks should be
effectively plugged with ballast and clayey soil/suitable material.
(ix) Garland/surface
drains (size, gradient and length) around the safety areas such as mine shaft and
low lying areas and sump capacity should be designed keeping 50% safety margin
over an above the peak sudden rainfall and maximum discharge in the area
adjoining the mine sites. Sump capacity should also provided adequate retention
period to allow proper settling of silt material. Sufficient number of pumps of
adequate capacity shall be deployed to pump out mine water during peak
rainfall.
(x) Crushers
if, any, should be operated with high efficiency bag filters, water sprinkling
system should be provided to check fugitive emissions from crushing operations,
conveyor system, haulage roads, transfer points, etc.
(xi) Drills
should be wet operated only.
(xii)
Controlled blasting
should be practiced with use of delay detonators.
(xiii)
The road from ML to
railway siding from where coal will be despatched shall be black topped.
(xiv) A
progressive afforestation plan shall be prepared and implanted for the
undisturbed area and shall include area brought under green belt development,
areas along roads, infrastructure, over surface where mining is being done
below, along ML boundary and in township outside the lease areas, etc, by
planting native species in consultation with the local DFO/Agriculture
Department. The density of the trees should be around 2500 plants per ha.
(xv) Conservation
Plan for endangered species found in and around the project area shall be
formulated in consultation with the
(xvi) Regular
monitoring of groundwater level and quality should be carried out by
establishing a network of exiting wells and construction of new peizometers.
The monitoring for quantity should be done four times a year in pre-monsoon
(May), monsoon (August), post-monsoon (November) and winter (January) seasons
and for quality in May. Data thus collected should be submitted to the Ministry
of Environment & Forests and tot eh Central Pollution Control Board
quarterly within one month of monitoring.
(xvii)
The Company shall put up
artificial groundwater recharge measures for augmentation of groundwater
resource. The project authorities should meet water requirement of nearby
village(s) in case the village wells go dry due to dewatering of mine.
(xviii) The company shall obtain
approval of CGWA/CGWB Regional Office for use of groundwater if any, for mining
operations.
(xix) Sewage
treatment plant should be installed in the existing integrated colony. ETP
should also be provided for treating workshop effluents.
(xx) Digital
processing of the entire lease area using remote sensing technique should be
done regularly once in 3 years for monitoring land use pattern and report
submitted to MOEF and its Regional office at
(xxi) A
Final Mine Closure Plan along with details of Corpus Fund should be submitted
to the Ministry of Environment & Forests 5 years in advance of final mine
closure for approval.
(xxii) Consent to Operate
shall be obtained before expanding mining operations.
B. General Conditions
(i)
No change in mining
technology and scope of working should be made without prior approval of the
Ministry of Environment and Forests.
(ii)
No change in the
calendar plan including excavation, quantum of mineral coal and waste should be
made.
(iii)
Four ambient air quality
monitoring stations should be established in the core zone as well as in the
buffer zone for SPM, RPM, SO2 and NOx monitoring. Location of the stations should be decided
based on the meteorological data, topographical features and environmentally
and ecologically sensitive targets in consultation with the State Pollution
Control Board.
(iv)
Fugitive dust emissions
(SPM and RPM) from all the sources should be controlled regularly monitored and
data recorded properly. Water spraying arrangement on haul roads, wagon
loading, dump trucks (loading and unloading) points should be provided and properly
maintained.
(v)
Data on ambient air
quality (SPM, RPM, SO2,NOx and CO) should be regularly submitted to the
Ministry including its Regional Office at
(vi)
Adequate measures should
be taken for control of noise levels below 85 dBA in the work environment.
Workers engaged in blasting and drilling operations, operation of HEMM, etc
should be provided with ear plugs/muffs.
(vii)
Industrial wastewater
(workshop and wastewater from the mine) should be properly collected, treated
so as to conform to the standards prescribed under GSR 422 (E) dated
(viii)
Vehicular emissions
should be kept under control and regularly monitored. Vehicles used for
transporting the mineral should be covered with tarpaulins and optimally
loaded.
(ix)
Environmental laboratory
should be established with adequate number and type of pollution monitoring and
analysis equipment in consultation with the State Pollution Control Board.
(x)
Personnel working in
dusty areas should wear protective respiratory devices and they should also be
provided with adequate training and information on safety and health aspects.
Occupational health
surveillance programme of the workers should be undertaken periodically to
observe any contractions due to exposure to dust and to take corrective
measures, if needed.
(xi)
A separate environmental
management cell with suitable qualified personnel should be set up under the
control of a Senior Executive, who will report directly to the Head of the
company.
(xii)
The funds earmarked for
environmental protection measures should e kept in separate account and should
not be diverted for other purpose. Year-wise expenditure should be reported to
this Ministry and its Regional Office at
(xiii)
The Regional Office of
this Ministry located at
(xiv)
A copy of the will be
marked to concerned Panchayat/ local NGO, if any, from whom any
suggestion/representation has been received while processing the proposal.
(xv)
State Pollution Control
Board should display a copy of the clearance letter at the Regional Office, District Industry Centre and
Collector’s Office/Tehsildar’s Office for 30 days.
(xvi)
The Project authorities
should advertise at least in two local newspapers widely circulated around the
project, one of which shall be in the vernacular language of the locality
concerned within seven days of the clearance letter informing that the project
has been accorded environmental clearance and a copy of the clearance letter is
available with the State Pollution control Board and may also be seen at the
website of the ministry of Environment & Forests at http://envfor.nic.in.
3. The Ministry or any
other competent authority may stipulate any further condition for environmental
protection.
4. Failure to comply
with any of the conditions mentioned above may result in withdrawal of this
clearance and attract the provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
5.
The above conditions
will be enforced inter-alia, under
the provisions of the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974,
the Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, the Environment
(Protection) Act, 1986 and the Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991 along with
their amendments and Rules.
(Dr.T.Chandini)
Director
Copy to:
1. Secretary, Ministry of Coal, Shahstri Bhawan,
2. Secretary, Department of Environment & Forests, Government of
Chhattisgarh, Secretariat,
3. Chief Conservator of Forests, Regional office (EZ), Ministry of
Environment & Forests, E-2/240 Arear Colony, Bhopal – 462016.
4. Chairman, Chhattisgarh Environment Conservation Board,
5. Chairman, Central Pollution Control Board, CBD-cum-Office Complex,
6. Member-Secretary, Central Ground Water Authority, Ministry of Water
Resources, Curzon Road Barracks, A-2, W-3 Kasturba Gandhi Marg, New Delhi.
7. Shri M.K. Shukla, CGM, Coal India Limited, SCOPE Minar, Core-I, 4t
Floor, Vikas Marg, Laxminagar,
8. District Collector,
9. Monitoring File 10. Guard File 11. Record
File
(Dr.T.Chandini)
Director