Lok Sabha Question No. 3598 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-01-02
Subject: Soil Erosion due to Coal Mining Activity
Ministry: COAL
Asked by: NAGENDRA KUMAR PRADHAN

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COAL

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3598

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 02.01.2019

## Soil Erosion due to Coal Mining Activity

3598. SHRI NAGENDRA KUMAR PRADHAN: Will the Minister of COAL be pleased to state:

- (a)  the  number of cases of soil erosion reported as a result of coal mining activities since last three years including the occurance in Talcher coal bearing area of Mahanadi coal field;
- (b) the number of casualities reported during the said period; and
- (c) the reasons and the remedial measures taken to address the problem?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF RAILWAYS AND COAL (SHRI PIYUSH GOYAL)

- (a): There is no case of soil erosion as a result of coal mining activities since last three years in Coal India Ltd. (CIL) subsidiaries including Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd. (MCL) command area.
- (b): No casualty has been reported during last 3 years due to soil erosion.
- (c): The main reasons for soil erosion are deforestation, heavy winds and flow of water. CIL has informed  that  massive  plantation  work  is  done  by  the  subsidiaries  of  Coal  India  Limited including  Mahanadi  Coalfields  Limited  over  the  Over  Burden  (OB)  dump  areas  and  other available vacant areas to control soil erosion as per Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Environmental Management Plan (EMP) for each of mining project. Technical reclamation of over burden dumps with levelling, grading are being done. Gully plugging, Garland drains are provided  to  arrest  and  control  soil  erosion.  Top  soil  is  being  laid  over  the  dump  surface  for biological reclamation and plantation.

## The company wise land area reforested / planted is as follows:

| Subsidiary                    | Plantation work   | Plantation work   | Plantation work   | Plantation work   | Plantation work   | Plantation work   |
|-------------------------------|-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|
|                               | During 2015-16    | During 2015-16    | During 2016-17    | During 2016-17    | During 2017-18    | During 2017-18    |
|                               | No.               | Ha.               | No.               | Ha.               | No.               | Ha.               |
| Eastern Coalfields Ltd.       | 250000            | 100               | 257500            | 103.00            | 259800            | 110.43            |
| Bharat Coking Coal Ltd.       | 28648             | 94.44             | 100000            | 41.2              | 97755             | 55.2              |
| Central Coalfields Ltd.       | 117775            | 47.11             | 66225             | 26.5              | 202957            | 83.001            |
| Western Coalfields Ltd.       | 0                 | 0                 | 125900            | 50.55             | 125000            | 50                |
| South Eastern Coalfields Ltd. | 743175            | 297.27            | 589000            | 235.60            | 694552            | 285.19            |
| Northern Coalfields Ltd.      | 370605            | 111               | 380000            | 146.85            | 100752            | 40.3              |
| Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd.      | 173303            | 69.32             | 138000            | 55.2              | 512750            | 196.9             |
| North Eastern Coalfields      | 4000              | 0*                | 5620              | 2.3               | 1600              | 0.5               |
| Total                         | 1687506           | 719.14            | 1662245           | 661.20            | 1995166           | 821.52            |