No.J-11015/67/2006-IA.II(M)
Government of
Ministry of Environment & Forests
Paryavaran Bhawan,
C.G.O.Complex,
Dated:
To
Head of Department Env./CE(Civil),
Environment Department,
M/s Western
Coalfields Ltd.,
Coal Estate, Civil Lines,
Sub: Singhori Opencast Coal Mine Project (0.80 MTPA) of M/s Western
Coalfields Ltd. (WCL), located near village Singhori, Tehsil Parseoni, District
Nagpur, Maharashtra - Environmental clearance – reg.
Sir,
This
has reference to letter No. 43011/116/2006-CPAM dated 21.08.2006 of Ministry of
Coal forwarding your application and letter of M/s Coal India Ltd. dated 28.09.2006
on the above-mentioned subject. The Ministry of Environment & Forests has
considered your application. The proposal is for opening a new mine – Singhori Opencast project with a production of
coal at 0.80 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) rated capacity in a total lease
area of 428 ha. Of the total lease area, 406 ha consist of agricultural land,
16.50 ha of forestland and 5.50 ha is wasteland. There is no colony/township. Forestry
clearance has been applied for. There area no National Parks, Wildlife
Sanctuary, Biosphere Reserves found in the 10 km buffer zone. No endangered
species are reported in the study area. Of the total lease area, area for
excavation is 96.50 ha, 160 ha is for OB dumps, 6 ha is for infrastructure, 52
ha is for greenbelt 40 ha is safety berms, 32 ha is for diversion of nallah and
39.50 ha is rationalisation area. The mine is drained by a nallah which
outflows into the River Kanhan. It is proposed to divert about 600m of the
nallah which will be realigned at the final. An embankment is proposed to be
made along the diverted nallah with a height difference of 6m from HFL. Project
does not involve R&R. Mining will be opencast by mechanised method. The annual rated capacity of the mine is 0.80
MTPA of coal production. A CHP is proposed within the mine lease. Mineral
transportation of 2425 TPD of coal
is by road involving 480 10-T tippers from the CHP to Khaperkheda TPS located
at a distance of 3 km. Ultimate working depth of the mine is 150 m bgl. Water
table is in the range of 5.35 m – 16.15 m bgl in the core zone and 1.00m – 21m
bgl in the buffer zone. Mining has intersected water table. Peak water
requirement is 347 m3/d, which is to be met from mine pit water (285 m3/d) and
from groundwater (62 m3/d). Of the total 66.73 Mm3 of OB generation including
2.4 Mm3 of topsoil, part of OB would be utilised in construction of embankment
and the balance OB would be accumulated in one external
2. The
Ministry of Environment & Forests hereby accords environmental clearance
for the above-mentioned Singhori Opencast
Coal Mine Project of M/s WCL for
production of coal at 0.80 MTPA rated capacity involving a total lease area of 428
ha under the provisions of the Environmental Impact Assessment
Notification, 2006 and subsequent amendments thereto and under Para
2.1.1 of MOEF Circular dated 13.10.2006 and subject to conditions specified below:
A. Specific Conditions
(i) Mining shall be carried out as per statuette at a safe
distance from the nalalh river flowing within the lease boundary. The diversion
of the nallah shall be as per detailed technical study.
(ii) The embankment constructed along the diverted nallah shall be
of suitable dimensions and stabilised with plantation so as to withstand the
peak water flow and prevent mine inundation.
(iii) Topsoil shall be stacked properly with
proper slope at earmarked site(s) and should not be kept active and shall be
used for reclamation and development of green belt.
(iv) OB should be stacked at the earmarked one external
(v) Catch drains and siltation ponds of
appropriate size should be constructed to arrest silt and sediment flows from
soil,
(vi) Dimension of the retaining wall at the toe
of the dumps and
(vii) Drills should be wet operated only.
(viii) Controlled blasting should be practiced with
use of delay detonators. The mitigative measures for control of ground
vibrations and to arrest the fly rocks and boulders should be implemented.
(ix) High efficiency bag
filters/water sprinkling system to check fugitive emissions from crushing
operations, conveyor system, haulage roads, transfer points, etc. shall be
installed and operated effectively at all times of operation.
(x) An area not less than 197 ha shall be
brought under afforestation which includes reclaimed external
(xi) The company shall obtain prior approval of CGWA/CGWB Regional
Office for use of groundwater if any, for mining operations.
(xii) Besides carrying out regular periodic
health check up of their workers, 10% of the workers identified from workforce
engaged in active mining operations shall be subjected to health check up for
occupational diseases and hearing impairment, if any, through an agency such as
NIOH, Ahmedabad within a period of two years and the results reported to this
Ministry and to DGMS.
(xiii) 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
(xiv) A Final Mine Closure Plan along with details
of Corpus Fund should be submitted immediately upon receipt of EC to the
Ministry of Environment & Forests RO,
(xv) Consent to Operate shall be obtained after fulfilment of the
conditions imposed in the NOC.
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 and NOx) 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,
2. Secretary, Department of
Environment, Government of
3. Chief Conservator of Forests,
Regional office (EZ), Ministry of Environment & Forests, E-2/240 Arear
Colony, Bhopal – 462016.
4. Chairman, Maharsashtra State
Pollution Control Board, Kalapataru Point, 3rd & 4th
Floors, Sion, Matunga Scheme Road No. 8, Opp. Cine Planet Cinema, Near Sion
Circle, Sion (E), Mumbai – 400002.
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,
9. EI Division, Ministry of
Environment & Forests,
10. Monitoring File 10. Guard
File 11. Record File
(Dr.T.Chandini)
Director