No.J-11015/535/2007-IA.II(M)
Government
of
Ministry
of Environment & Forests
Paryavaran
Bhawan,
C.G.O.Complex,
Dated:
15th April 2009
To
Chief
General Manger (Civil/Env./Forest),
M/s South Eastern Coalfields Ltd.,
Bilaspur,
Chhattisgarh.
Sub: Ketki Underground Coal Mine Project (0.42
MTPA) of M/s South Eastern Coalfields Ltd. (SECL), located in village Ketka,
Tehsil Surajpur, District Surguja, Chhattisgarh -
environmental clearance – reg.
Sir,
This has reference to Ministry of
Coal’s letter No. 43011/83/2007-CPAM dated 06.06.2007 and forwarding your
application on the aforesaid project and SECL’s subsequent letters dated
14.05.2008, 09.02.2009, 06.03.2009 and
01.04.2009 on the above-mentioned subject. The Ministry of Environment &
Forests has considered the application.
It has been noted that the project is for opening a new coalmine -Ketki Underground Coalmine Project (UGP) of
0.42 MTPA rated capacity. The total
lease area is 548.65 ha of which 314.98 ha is agricultural land, 221.95 ha and
11.72 ha of Govt. land. Forestry clearance has not been obtained. Of the
total lease area, area for UG mining is 539.10 ha, 5ha of surface area is for
infrastructure, 2.43 ha is for township and 1.50 ha si for miscellaneous uses.
CHP is proposed within the ML area. There area no National Parks, Wildlife
Sanctuary, Biosphere Reserves found in the 10 km buffer zone. A number of
Reserve Forests are found in the buffer zone – Rajapur RF, Ketka RF, Dhawana
RF. Jogba nala flows adjacent to lease boundary. The
project does not involve modification of the natural drainage. Project does not
involve R&R. Mining will be underground by semi-mechanised method. Mineral
transportation of 1400 TPD of coal is by road. Ultimate working depth of
the mine is 117m below ground level (bgl). Water table is in the range of
7.03-7.87m m during pre-monsoon and 2.51-2.63m bgl during post-monsoon. Average
water requirement is 492 m3/d, which will be met from ground water (288 m3/d)
and from mine water (204 m3/d). Public Hearing was held on 24.02.2006. Life of
the mine at the rated capacity is 30 years. The project has been approved by
M/s SECL on 08.04.2006. Capital cost of the project is Rs. 46.24 crores.
2. The
Ministry of Environment & forests hereby accords environmental clearance
for the above-mentioned Ketki
Underground Coal Mine Project of M/s
SECL for production of coal at 0.42 MTPA rated capacity under the
Environmental Impact Assessment Notification, 2006 and subsequent amendments
and Circulars thereto subject to the compliance of the terms and conditions
mentioned below:
A. Specific
Conditions
(i) 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.
(ii) Solid barriers shall
be left below the roads falling within the blocks to avoid any damage to the
roads.
(iii) No depillaring operation shall be
carried out below the township/colony.
(iv) Depression due to
subsidence resulting in water accumulating within the low lying areas shall be
filled up or drained out by cutting drains.
(v) 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.
(vi) 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 shall be continued till movement ceases completely. In case of
observation of any high rate of subsidence movement, appropriate effective
corrective measures shall be taken to avoid loss of life and material. Cracks shall
be effectively plugged with ballast and clayey soil/suitable material.
(vii) Garland/surface
drains (size, gradient and length) around the safety areas such as mine shaft
and low lying areas and sump capacity shall 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 shall 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.
(viii) CHP
shall be operated with high efficiency bag filters, water sprinkling system
shall be provided to check fugitive emissions from crushing operations,
conveyor system, haulage roads, transfer points, etc.
(ix) Drills
shall be wet operated only.
(x) The
major approach roads from ML used for mineral transportation shall be black
topped and a 3-tier avenue plantation developed using a mix of native species.
(xi) A
progressive afforestation plan shall be prepared and implemented for the areas
acquired and shall include areas along roads, infrastructure, township, CHP
along ML boundary, etc, by planting native species in consultation with the
local DFO/Agriculture Department. The density of the trees shall be around 2500
plants per ha.
(xii) A
Conservation Plan for endangered species found in and around the project area
shall be formulated and implemented in
consultation with the
(xiii) Regular
monitoring of groundwater level and quality shall be carried out by
establishing a network of exiting wells and construction of new peizometers.
The monitoring for quantity shall 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 shall be submitted to the Ministry
of Environment & Forests and to the Central Pollution Control Board
quarterly within one month of monitoring.
(xiv) The Company shall use treated mine water for its mine operations. Use of borewell water for mining operations shall be avoided. The company shall obtain approval of CGWA/CGWB Regional Office for use of groundwater if any, for mining operations.
(xv) The
Company shall put up artificial groundwater recharge measures for augmentation
of groundwater resource in case monitoring shows a declining trend of ground
water level. The project authorities shall meet water requirement of nearby
village(s) in case the village wells go dry due to dewatering of mine.
(xvi) Sewage treatment plant shall be installed in the township. ETP shall also be provided for treating workshop and CHP effluents.
(xvii) For monitoring land use pattern and for post mining
land use, a time series of landuse maps, based on satellite imagery (on a scale
of 1: 5000) of the core zone and buffer zone, from the start of the project
until end of mine life shall be prepared once in 3 years (for any one
particular season which is consistent in the time series), and the report
submitted to MOEF and its Regional office at Bhopal.
(xviii) A
Final Mine Closure Plan along with details of Corpus Fund shall be submitted to
the Ministry of Environment & Forests 5 years in advance of final mine
closure for approval.
B. General Conditions
(i)
No change in mining
technology and scope of working shall 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 shall be
made.
(iii)
Four
ambient air quality monitoring stations shall be established in the core zone
as well as in the buffer zone for monitoring SPM, RSPM, SO2 and NOx and heavy
metals such as Hg, As, Ni, Cr, etc.
Location of the stations shall be decided based on the meteorological
data, topographical features and environmentally and ecologically sensitive
targets in consultation with the State Pollution Control Board.
(iv)
Data
on ambient air quality (SPM, RSPM, SO2 and NOx and heavy metals such as Hg, As,
Ni, Cr, etc) shall be regularly submitted to the Ministry including its
Regional Office at
(v)
Fugitive
dust emissions (SPM and RSPM and heavy metals such as Hg, As, Ni, Cr, etc) from
all the sources shall be controlled regularly monitored and data recorded
properly. Water spraying arrangement on haul roads, wagon loading, dump trucks
(loading and unloading) points shall be provided and properly maintained.
(vi)
Adequate measures shall
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
shall be provided with ear plugs/muffs.
(vii)
Industrial wastewater
(workshop and wastewater from the mine) shall be properly collected, treated so
as to conform to the standards prescribed under GSR 422 (E) dated 19th
May 1993 and 31st December 1993 or as amended from time to time before
discharge. Oil and grease trap shall be installed before discharge of workshop
effluents.
(viii)
Vehicular emissions
shall be kept under control and regularly monitored. Vehicles used for
transportation of the mineral shall be covered with tarpaulins and optimally
loaded.
(ix)
Environmental laboratory
shall 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 shall wear protective respiratory devices and they shall also be
provided with adequate training and information on safety and health aspects.
Occupational health
surveillance programme of the workers shall 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 shall 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 shall e kept in separate account and shall
not be diverted for other purpose. Year-wise expenditure shall 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 shall 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
shall 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. The compliance status
shall also be uploaded by the project authorities in their website and updated
at least once every six months so as to bring the same in the public domain.
The data shall also be displayed at the entrance of the project premises and
mines office and in corporate office.
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. The
proponent shall ensure to undertake and provide for the costs incurred for
taking up remedial measures in case of soil contamination, contamination of
groundwater and surface water, and occupational and other diseases due to the
mining operations.
(Dr.T.Chandini)
Director
Copy to:
1.
Secretary, Ministry of
Coal, Shastri 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, 1-Tilak Nagar, Shiv Mandir Chowk,
Main Road, Avanti Vihar, RAIPUR-Chhattisgarh – 492001.
5. Chairman,
Central Pollution Control Board, CBD-cum-Office Complex, East Arjun Nagar,
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,
Surguja, Government of Chhattisgarh
9. Monitoring File 10. Guard
File 11. Record File
(Dr.T.Chandini)
Director