No.J-11015/1099/2007-IA.II(M)
Government of India
Ministry of Environment &
Forests
Paryavaran Bhawan,
C.G.O.Complex,
New Delhi -110510.
Dated: 15th July 2009
To
Chief General Manger,
M/s South
Eastern Coalfields Ltd.,
Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh.
Sub: Expansion of
Bagdeva Underground Coal Mine Project (expansion in production from 0.24 MTPA
to 0.76MTPA and lease area from 340.97 ha to 502.60 ha) of M/s South Eastern
Coalfields Ltd. (SECL), located in village Bagdeva, Tehsil Katghora, district
Korba, Chhattisgarh- environmental clearance – reg.
Sir,
This
has reference to Ministry of Coal’s letter No. 43011/1147/2007-CPAM dated
05.10.2007 forwarding the application for Terms of Reference (TOR) on the
aforesaid project and this Ministry’s grant of TOR dated 16.01.2008 and
application for environmental clearance based on TOR No.CIL/DLI/EMP-TOR/2009/12
dated 27.05.2009 and SECL’s E-mail dated 09.07.2009. The Ministry of
Environment & Forests has considered the application. The project is for expansion in production of the existing Bagdeva Underground Coalmine
Project (UGP) from 0.24 MTPA to 0.60 MTPA rated capacity and expansion in lease
area from 340.97 ha to 502.60 ha. There are no National Parks, Wildlife
Sanctuary, Biosphere Reserves found in the 15 km buffer zone. Of the
total lease area of 502.60 ha, of which 143.51 ha is agricultural land, 282.28
ha is forestland and 76.81 ha is govt. land. Mining by underground
sem-mechanised Bord & pillar method using SDL and would be carried out over
469.08 ha. The mine is within the Badripali PF. Forestry clearance has been
obtained on 02.04.2002 for 297.608 ha of forestland within the lease area under
Mining rights and 21.554 ha for surface rights (infrastructure, mine opening,
coal bunker, internal roads, loading and unloading areas, etc.). No CHP is
proposed. A township exists at a distance of 0.5 km from the ML. River flows
adjacent to Mine lease. The project does not involve modification of the
natural drainage. Project does not involve R&R in the expansion project.
Mineral transportation of 2303 TPD of coal is conveyor to surface bunker and by
road by trucks. Ultimate working depth of the mine is 158m below ground level
(bgl) and depillaring would be upto a max. depth of 10m bgl.. Water table is in
the range of 3.98-8.16m bgl during pre-monsoon and 2.10-4.42 m bgl during
post-monsoon. Peak water requirement is 448 m3/d which includes 327 m3/d for
domestic consumption, which will be met from treated mine water. Balance life
of the mine at the rated capacity of 0.76 MTPA is 19 years. Public Hearing was
held on 11.07.2008. The project has been approved by M/s SECL on
30.08.2007. Capital cost of the project
is Rs. 43.6492 crores.
2. The Ministry of
Environment & forests hereby accords environmental clearance for the above-mentioned
Bagdeva Underground Coal Mine Project of
M/s SECL for expansion in production of
coal from 0.24 MTPA to 0.76MTPA and lease area from 340.97 ha to 502.60 ha from
0.30 MTPA to 0.60 MTPA rated capacity under the Environmental Impact
Assessment Notification, 2006 and subsequent amendments and Circulars thereto
and subject to the compliance of the terms and conditions mentioned below:
A. Specific Conditions
(i) Subsidence
studies including subsidence prediction modelling of the proposed expansion and
impacts on the overlying forest and rivers shall be undertaken and in case of
significant subsidence predicted, the land above shall be acquired.
(ii) R&R shall be reworked in case the
entire land requires to be acquired due to subsidence. Crop compensation shall
be given for the affected agricultural land.
(iii) Sufficient
coal pillars shall be left unextracted around the airshaft (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 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.
(ix) 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.
(x) Mist spray type 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.
(x) All approach roads to and from ML used for mineral transportation shall be black topped. A 3-tier plantation shall be developed on both sides of the road. Mineral transportation trucks shall be covered with tarpaulin and shall not be overloaded.
(xi) A progressive afforestation plan shall be
prepared and implemented in areas acquired and under surface rights and shall
include area brought under green belt development, areas along roads,
infrastructure, along ML boundary and in township outside the lease area, 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) Conservation Plan for endangered species
found in and around the project area shall be formulated in consultation with
the State Forest and Wildlife Departments.
(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 put up artificial
groundwater recharge measures for augmentation of groundwater resource in case
monitoring of water table 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.
(xv) The company shall obtain approval of
CGWA/CGWB Regional Office for use of groundwater if any, for mining operations.
(xvi) ETP shall also be provided for treating
workshop effluents. An STP shall be constructed for treating domestic wastes
from the colony.
(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.
(xix) A minimum 2.5 % of the retained profits shall be earmarked for
activities under CSR.
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 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. 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 SPM and RSPM
etc. shall be carried out at least one in six months.
(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 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, 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.
(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)
Appropriate measures shall be taken to avoid hazards of fire and explosions
due to methane gas.
(ix)
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.
(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 Bhopal.
(xiii)
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.
(xiv)
A copy of the environmental clearance letter shall be marked to
concerned Panchayat/ Zila Parishad/Municipal Corporation or Urban Local Body/
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.
(xv)
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.
(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. 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) shall also be displayed at the entrance
of the project premises and mines office and in corporate office and on the
company’s website.
(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 State 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. District Collector, Korba Government of
Chhattisgarh.
8. Monitoring File 9. Guard File 10. Record
File.
(Dr.T.Chandini)
Director