By IANS,
Kolkata : The central government is set to develop a reclamation and restoration policy to return used colliery land to society for other usage, said a coal ministry official here.
“The coal ministry is now preparing a policy so that the used land, once acquired for mining, can be given back to the society. We are hopeful that the policy will be put in place in the next six months,” ministry official P.R Mandal said here Thursday.
He was speaking on the sidelines of a conference, the Regional Clean Coal Partnership Programme, organised by the US Agency for International, Development (USAID).
He said the government was taking all aspects into consideration so the land can be returned to people in that area. “We are finalising the entire process now,” he added.
“In some colliery land, good cultivation can be done or some commercially valuable plants can also be planted in those areas which will give good economic returns to people living in that particular area,” Mandal said.
Earlier, state-run Coal India Ltd (CIL) had also approached the central government to amend the Coal Bearing Areas (Acquisition and Development) Act, 1957, creating a mechanism to encourage the re-use of land for the benefit of society.
According to CIL sources, the company now has nearly 150,000 hectares of land, of which about 20 percent has already been used and no longer required for any mining activity.
A committee, headed by CIL director (personnel and industry relation) R. Mohon Das, has been formed to assess the quantity of used colliery land. “After identifying such belts, the experts’ panel would prepare a detailed report to be presented before the ministry.
“The report is expected to be ready very shortly,” a CIL official told IANS.
The CIL has been seen actively campaigning for socially sustainable mining practices.
The coal miner is also focusing on rehabilitation and re-settlement activities for the communities affected because of the mining industry.
Several representatives from India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan participated in the seminar.
India is a major importer and producer of coal with about 10 percent of the world’s total reserves.