[LOGO]
Ministry of Environment & Forests (MOEF)

No. J-11015/1096/2007-IA.II (M)

Paryavaran Bhawan,

                                                       CGO Complex,

New Delhi-110510.

To

Dated: 18th February 2011

M/s. South Eastern Coalfields Ltd

Bilaspur,

Chhattisgarh.

 

SUB: Mahamaya UG Coalmine Expansion Project (Production from 0.34 MTPA to 0.48 MTPA and ML area from 460.467 ha to 762.470 ha) of M/s. South Eastern Coalfields Ltd. located in village Jarhi, Tehsil Pratappur, Dist Surguja, Chhattisgarh –Environmental Clearance

Sir,

 

           This has reference to letter No 43011/115/2007-CPAM dated 05.10.2007 of Ministry of Coal forwarding your application for TOR, which was granted vide MOEF letter dated 17.01.2008 and your application for environmental clearance letter dated 02.08.2010 and letter dated 03.02.2011 on the above-mentioned subject. It is noted that the proposal is for expansion in production from 0.34 MTPA to 0.48 MTPA and ML area from 460.467 ha to 762.470 ha of Mahamaya Underground Coal Mine project. The project was granted environmental clearance for 0.34 MTPA on 20.06.2006. There is no ecologically sensitive area found within 15 km of the core zone (project area). However, the area around the project has abundant forests. Part of Forest land of Patrapara, Gonda, Durti, Songara, Jarhi & Dumeria PF are found within the Core zone and in the Buffer zone. Of the total ML area of 762.47 ha, 487.05 ha is tenancy land, 243.80 ha is forestland and 31.62 of Govt. land. The additional land requirement is for Mining Rights only. River Mahan River forms the main drainage for the block. Method of mining is underground by semi-mechanised method of Board & Pillar with SDL. Ultimate working depth will be 180m bgl. Grade of coal grade is B-C. Water table in the study area is in the range of 7.29-9.61m bgl (pre-monsoon) and 3.69-4.52m bgl during post-monsoon). Peak water requirement is 620 m3/day of which 550m3/day is for the colony and would be met from mine discharge water. Coal transportation of 1600 TPD of coal is by road to the Bhatgaon railway siding. Budgetary provisions of Rs 158.05 lakhs towards capital costs for environmental measures has been made. Project does not involve additional and R&R for the existing project has been completed. Life of project 24 years. Public Hearing held on 30.03.2010. Project was approved by SECL on 21.06.2007. Capital Cost of the Project is Rs. 90.46 Crores.

 

2.         The Ministry of Environment & forests hereby accords environmental clearance for the above-mentioned Mahamaya Underground Coalmine Expansion Project of M/s SECL to increase production from 0.34 MTPA to 0.48 MTPA and ML area from 460.467 ha to 762.470 ha  under provisons of the Environmental Impact Assessment Notification, 2006 and subsequent amendments thereto and Circulars thereunder 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)     High root density tree species shall be selected and planted over areas likely to be affected by subsidence.

 

(vii)      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.

 

(viii)      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 be 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.

 

(ix)       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.

 

(x)        Drills shall be wet operated only.

 

(xi)       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.

 

(xii)       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.

 

(xiv)      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.

 

(xvi)      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.

 

(xvii)     Sewage treatment plant shall be installed in the township. ETP shall also be provided for treating workshop and CHP effluents. Effluents treated to conform to prescribed norms shall be discharged into surface waters.

(xviii)    Land losers shall be provided compensation as per norms which are not less than the National R&R Policy and the R&R Policy of the State Govt. whichever is higher.

(xv)     Project specific CSR should be prepared & activities under CSR undertaken for the neighbouring villages shall be for not less than Rs 5 per tonne of coal and the progress made thereon shall be uploaded on the company annually on the company website. An annual recurring budget of Rs 5/tonne of coal are provided towards CSR. The company shall  set up a Monitoring cell for monitoring the CSR issues and engage an independent organisation for undertaking Social Audit.

(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)      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 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 quantum of mineral coal and waste being produced 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 PM10, PM2.5, SOx and NOx.  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.  Monitoring of heavy metals such as Hg, As, Ni, Cd, Cr, in RSPM etc. shall be carried out at least once in six months.

 

(iv)               Data on ambient air quality (PM10, PM2.5, SOx and NOx and heavy metals such as Hg, As, Ni, Cr, etc) and other monitoring data shall be regularly submitted to the Ministry including its Regional Office at Bhopal and to the State Pollution Control Board and the Central Pollution Control Board once in six months. Random verification of samples through analysis from independent laboratories recognised under the EP Rules, 1986 shall be furnished as part of the compliance report.

 

(v)                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.

 

(vi)               Industrial wastewater (workshop and wastewater from the mine) shall be properly collected, and treated so as to conform to the standards including for heavy metals before discharge prescribed under GSR 422 (E) dated 19th May 1993 and 31st December 1993 or as amended from time to time. Oil and grease trap shall be installed before discharge of workshop effluents.

 

(vii)             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.

 

(viii)            Monitoring of environmental quality parameters shall be carried out through establishment of adequate number and type of pollution monitoring and analysis equipment in consultation with the State Pollution Control Board and data got analysed through a laboratory recognised under EP Rules, 1986.

 

(ix)               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.

 

(x)                 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.

 

(xi)               The funds earmarked for environmental protection measures shall be 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 Bhopal.

 

(xii)              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

 

(xiii)            A copy of the environmental clearance letter shall be marked to concerned Panchayat/Zila Parishad, Municipal Corporation or Urban Local Body and local NGO, if any, from whom any suggestion/representation has been received while processing the proposal. A copy of the clearance letter shall also be displayed on the company’s website.

 

(xiv)            A copy of the clearance letter shall be displayed on the website of the concerned State Pollution Control Board. The EC letter shall also be displayed at the Regional Office, District Industry Centre and Collector’s Office/Tehsildar’s Office for 30 days.

 

(xv)             The clearance letter shall be uploaded on the company’s website. The compliance status of the stipulated EC conditions shall also be uploaded by the project authorities on their website and updated at least once every six months so as to bring the same in the public domain. The monitoring data of environmental quality parameters (air, water, noise and soil) and critical pollutants such as SPM, RPM, SO2 and NOx (ambient and stack if any) and critical sectoral parameters shall also be displayed at the entrance of the project premises and mines office and in corporate office and on the company’s website.

 

(xvi)            The project proponent shall submit six monthly reports on the status of compliance of the stipulated environmental clearance conditions (both in hard copy and in e-mail) to the respective Regional Office of the MOEF, the respective Zonal offices of CPCB and the SPCB.

 

(xvii)          The Regional Office of this Ministry located at Bhopal shall monitor compliance of the stipulated conditions. The Project authorities shall extend full cooperation to the office(s) of the Regional Office by furnishing the requisite data/ information/monitoring reports.

 

(xviii)         The environmental statement for each financial year ending 31st March in Form-V is mandated to be submitted by the project proponent tot the concerned State Pollution Control Board as prescribed under the Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986, as amended subsequently, shall also be uploaded on the company’s website along with the status of compliance of EC conditions and shall be sent to the respective Regional Offices of the MOEF by E-mail.

 

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, New Delhi.

2.                   Secretary, Department of Environment & Forests, Government of Chhattisgarh, Secretariat, Raipur.

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, New Delhi -110032.

6.         Member-Secretary, Central Ground Water Authority, Ministry of Water Resources, Curzon Road Barracks, A-2, W-3 Kasturba Gandhi Marg, New Delhi.

7.         Dr.R.K.Garg, Advisor, Coal India Limited, SCOPE Minar, Core-I, 4t Floor, Vikas Marg, Laxminagar, New Delhi.

8.         District Collector, Surguja, Government of Chhattisgarh

9.         Monitoring File   10.        Guard File         11.        Record File

 

 

(Dr.T.Chandini)

DIRECTOR

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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