No.J-11015/235/2006-IA.II(M)
Government
of
Ministry
of Environment & Forests
Paryavaran
Bhawan,
C.G.O.Complex,
Dated:
To
Chief
General Manager
NCL
Nigahi Project
M/s Northern Coalfields Ltd.,
District
Sidhi,
Madhya
Pradesh
Sub: Expansion of Nigahi
Opencast Coal Mine Project (expansion in production from 10 MTPA to 15 MTPA) of
M/s Northern Coalfields Ltd. (NCL), located in village Nigahi in District
Sidhi, Madhya Pradesh - environmental clearance – reg.
Sir,
This has reference to the letter No. 43011/98/2006-CPAM dated 31.07.2006
forwarding your application and subsequent letter of M/s Coal India Ltd. dated 25.10.2006
and your letter dated 29.04.2007, on the above-mentioned subject. The Ministry
of Environment & Forests has considered your application. It is
noted that the application is for environmental clearance for expansion in production in the existing Nigahi
Opencast Coalmine Project to meet the requirements of the Vindhyachal Super
Thermal Power Station of M/s NTPC. Environmental clearance was obtained
twice – on 08.10.1987 and on 28.02.1996. The
present proposal is for expansion in production from 10 MTPA to 15 MTPA rated
capacity without any increase in the lease area. There are no ecologically
sensitive areas such as National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries, Biosphere
Reserves, etc. within the core zone and 10km of the buffer zone. Forestry clearance for 874.14 ha of
forestland was obtained on 18.06.1987. No endangered flora and fauna has been
found in the mine lease area. Of the total lease
area of 3036.4 ha, area for excavation is 1665 ha of which broken area is
500 ha and to be broken is 1165 ha, of the 418 ha area for external OB dump,
300 ha is in use and 118 ha is to be used, workshop area is 74 ha, colony area
265 ha, green belt is 335 ha, other infrastructure is 61.50 ha which includes a
CHP (30 ha), and undisturbed area is 182.40 ha. The project does not involve mineral beneficiation. The area is
drained by Bijui nala, Morwa nala, and South by G.B. Pant Sagar through
Motwani/Amjhar nala.
2. The Ministry of Environment &
forests hereby accords environmental clearance for the above-mentioned Nigahi Opencast Coal Mine Expansion Project
of M/s NCL for expansion in production
of coal from 10 MTPA to 15 MTPA rated capacity in a total lease area of 3036.40
ha under Section 12 of the Environmental Impact Assessment Notification,
2006 and subsequent amendments thereto and under Para 2.1.1 of MOEF Circular
dated 13.10.2006 subject to the compliance of the terms and conditions
mentioned below:
A. Specific
Conditions
(i)
No mining shall be
carried out in the forestland for which forestry clearance has not been obtained.
(ii)
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.
(iii)
(iv) Catch drains and
siltation ponds of appropriate size should be constructed to arrest silt and
sediment flows from soil,
(v) Dimension
of the retaining wall at the toe of the dumps and
(vi) In-pit
Crushers and crusher at CHP shall 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.
(vii) Major approach roads and haul roads shall
be metal topped.
(viii) Drills should be wet operated only.
(ix) Controlled
blasting should be practiced with use of delay detonators and only during
daytime. The mitigative measures for control of ground vibrations and to arrest
the fly rocks and boulders should be implemented.
(x) A
progressive afforestation plan shall be implemented covering a total area of not
less than 2323 ha, which includes reclaimed external OB dump and backfilled
quarry (1823 ha), along ML boundary, along roads and infrastructure, green belt
(335 ha), along undisturbed area and in colony by planting native species in
consultation with the local DFO/Agriculture Department. The density of the
trees should be around 2500 plants per ha.
(xii)
Of the excavated area, major
part shall be backfilled and reclaimed with plantation and the balance 60 ha of
the decolaed void shall be converted into a water reservoir, the higher benches
of which shall be gently sloped and stabilised by plantation/afforestation by
planting native plant species in consultation with the local DFO/Agriculture
Department. The density of the trees should be around 2500 plants per ha.
(xiii)
The company shall
obtain approval of CGWA/CGWB Regional Office for use of groundwater if any, for
mining operations. Sanction of the competent authority shall be obtained for
use of water form the integrated Water Supply Scheme of the G.B. Pant Sagar.
(xiv) 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 to the Central Pollution Control Board
quarterly within one month of monitoring.
(xv) 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.
(xvi)
Sewage treatment plant
should be installed in the existing colony. ETP should also be provided for
workshop and CHP wastewater to ensure that the total wastewater of 3190 m3/d
being discharged form the mine conforms to prescribed standards for discharge.
(xvii) The project authorities shall carry out a study for zero discharge from
NCL mines by considering various options for using excess treated effluents
including artificial recharge and the report on the same shall be submitted to
this Ministry within six months of issue of this clearance letter.
(xvii) 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.
(xviii) 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.
(xix)
R&R for the
remaining 390 PAPs shall be completed by 2010-11. The R&R will be based on
norms not less than that stipulated under the National R&R
Policy/State Govt. whichever is higher.
(xiv) A
Final Mine Closure Plan along with details of Corpus Fund should be submitted
to the Ministry of Environment & Forests within one year for approval.
(xx) 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 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 environmental
clearance letter shall 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, Government of
2.
Secretary, Environment
Department, Government of Uttar Pradesh, Secretariat,
3.
Secretary, Environment
Department, Government of Madhya Pradesh, Secretariat,
4.
Chief Conservator of
Forests (Western), Ministry of Environment & Forests, Regional Office,
E-2/240 Arera Colony, Bhopal – 462016.
5.
Chief Conservator of
Forests (Central), Ministry of Environment & Forests, Regional Office,
B-1/272, Sector K, Aliganj,
6. Chairman, Central
Pollution Control Board, CBD-cum-Office Complex,
7. Member-Secretary,
Central Ground Water Authority, Ministry of Water Resources, Curzon Road
Barracks, A-2, W-3 Kasturba Gandhi Marg, New Delhi.
8. Shri M.K. Shukla, CGM,
Coal India Limited, SCOPE Minar, Core-I, 4t Floor, Vikas Marg, Laxminagar,
9. District Collector, Sidhi, Government
of Madhya Pradesh.
10. EI Division, Ministry of Environment
& Forests,
11. Monitoring File 12. Guard File 13. Record File
(Dr.T.Chandini)
Director
No.J-11015/29/2004-IA.II(M)
Government of
Ministry of Environment & Forests
Paryavaran Bhawan,
C.G.O.Complex,
Dated:
To
Shri V.K. Singh,
General Manager
P.O. Bina Project
M/s Northern
Coalfields Ltd.,
Sonebhadra District (U.P.) – 231220.
CORRIGENDUM
Sub: Expansion of
Bina-II Opencast Coal Mine Project (production from 4.5 MTPA to 6 MTPA and
lease area from 1349 ha to 1798 ha) of M/s Northern Coalfields Ltd. (NCL),
located in village Bina, Tehsil Dudhi, District Sonebhadra, Uttar Pradesh and
in village Churidih, Tehsil Singrauli in District Sidhi, Madhya Pradesh -
environmental clearance – reg.
Sir,
This
is with reference to letter No. CIL/DLI/ENV/NCL/2006/74 dated 20.092006 from
M/s Coal India Ltd. regarding the environmental clearance of even number dated
02.08.2006 issued by this Ministry to the above-mentioned project and to state
that the production capacity given at sentence 17-18 in the preamble in page 1
of the clearance letter as 0.45 MTPA and 0.6 MTPA, - stand corrected as 4.5 MTPA and 6 MTPA respectively.
All other terms and conditions in the EC
letter remain the same.
(Dr.T.Chandini)
Additional Director
Copy to:
6.
Secretary, Ministry of Coal, Government of
7.
Secretary, Environment Department, Government of Uttar
Pradesh, Secretariat,
8.
Secretary, Environment Department, Government of Madhya
Pradesh, Secretariat,
9.
Chief Conservator of Forests (Western), Ministry of
Environment & Forests, Regional Office, E-2/240 Arera Colony, Bhopal –
462016.
10.
Chief Conservator of Forests (Central), Ministry of Environment
& Forests, Regional Office, B-1/272, Sector K, Aliganj,
6. Chairman,
Central Pollution Control Board, CBD-cum-Office Complex,
7. Member-Secretary,
Central Ground Water Authority, Ministry of Water Resources, Curzon Road
Barracks, A-2, W-3 Kasturba Gandhi Marg, New Delhi.
8. Shri
M.K. Shukla, CGM, Coal India Limited, SCOPE Minar, Core-I, 4t Floor, Vikas
Marg, Laxminagar,
9. District
Collector, Sonebhadra, Government of Uttar Pradesh.
10. District
Collector, Sidhi, Government of Madhya Pradesh.
11. EI
Division, Ministry of Environment & Forests,
12. Monitoring
File 13. Guard File 14. Record File
(Dr.T.Chandini)
Additional Director