Lok Sabha Question No. 4212 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-12-13
Subject: Environmental Degradation  Caused by Mining
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Narayana Swamy Abbaiah

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.4212

TO BE ANSWERED ON 13.12.2019

## Environmental Degradation Caused by Mining

## 4212. SHRI A. NARAYANA SWAMY:

Will  the  Minister  of  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND  CLIMATE  CHANGE  be  pleased  to state:

- (a) whether the Government has taken any mitigative measures to address environment degradation caused by mining in Chitradurga;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether afforestation and water conservation programmes are also a part of the said measures;
- (d) if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) the amount collected from mining companies by Karnataka Mining Environment Restoration Corporation (KMERC) to implement the mitigative measures?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI BABUL SUPRIYO)

- (a) In  compliance  to  the  various  orders  passed  by  the  Hon'ble  Supreme  Court  of India, New Delhi, the Indian Council of Forestry Research & Education (ICFRE), Dehradun and Karnataka Mining Environment Restoration Corporation (KMERC), Karnataka  have  prepared  the  reports  and  submitted  to  Hon'ble Supreme Court.

The  ICFRE  have  prepared  Macro  Level  EIA  report  on  study  of  Chitradurga district of Karnataka which has been submitted to the Registrar, Hon'ble Supreme Court   of India, New Delhi.

The  KMERC  has  prepared  detailed  revised  report  on  mitigative  measures  to address  environmental  degradation  viz.  Comprehensive  Environment  Plan  for Mining  Impact  Zone  (CEPMIZ)  and  submitted  to  the  Hon'ble  Supreme  Court during October 2018.

- (b) The  ICFRE  has  prepared  Reclamation  &  Rehabilitation  Plans  (R  &R  Plan)  in respect of individual mines for Government of Karnataka. Out of 24 numbers of

mines in Chitradurga,  21  R  &  R  Plans  have  been  submitted  to  Hon'ble Central Empowered Committee  (CEC),  New  Delhi.  The  implementations  of these plans are being   looked  after  by  the  Monitoring  Committee  constituted  by the Hon'ble Supreme  Court of India.

The details of report provided by KMERC, Karnataka is enclosed as annexure-1.

- (c) & (d) The  ICFRE  have  provided  detailed  afforestation  plan  and  water  conservation measures in R & R Plans and have submitted to Government of Karnataka and CEC of the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India.

The  KMERC  included  afforestation  and  water  conservation  programmes  plans under irrigation and agriculture sectors. As per the report afforestation activities include Ecological Restoration, Assisted Natural Regeneration, Rehabilitation of Mine Areas, Artificial Regeneration, Strip Plantation, Institutional Planting, Farm  Forestry  and  Seedling  for  Distribution,  respectively.  The  report  work  out outlay  for  Chitradurga  District  under  Eco-restoration  is  Rs.  540.83  Crore,  for Watershed  Development  and  other  activities  under  Agricultural  Sector  is  Rs. 324.85 Crore   and  for  Water  conservation  under  Minor  Irrigation  Sector,  it  is Rs.154.70 Crore, respectively.

- (e) The  Hon'ble  Supreme  Court  has  constituted  a  Monitoring  Committee  for  eauction of the mined iron ore in Karnataka. The details of total amount collected are enclosed as annexure-1.

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