Lok Sabha Question No. 3196 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-12-06
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.3196

TO BE ANSWERED ON 06.12.2019

## Environmental Degradation Caused by Mining

## 3196. SHRI A. NARAYANA SWAMY:

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

- (a)  whether  any  detailed  report  on  the  mitigative  measures  taken  to  address  environment  degradation caused by mining in Chitradurga has been submitted to the Government;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c)  whether  schemes  like  afforestation  and  water  conservation  programmes  were  part  of  measures  to tackle environment degradation;
- (d) if so, the details thereof; and
- (e)  the  total  amount  collected  from  mining  companies  by  Karnataka  Mining  Environment  Restoration Corporation (KMERC) to implement such 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), Karnatakahave 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 has been submitted to the Registrar, Hon'ble Supreme Court of India, NewDelhi.

The  KMERChave  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 ICFREprepared 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  ICFREhave  provided  detailed  afforestation  plan  and  water  conservation measures  in  R&  R  Plans  and  have  submitted  to  Government  of  Karnataka  and CEC of the Hon'bleSupremeCourt 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  ChitradurgaDistrict  under  Eco-restoration  is  Rs.  540.83  Crore,  for Watershed  Development  and  other  activities  under  Agricultural  Sector  is  Rs. 324.85 Crore   andfor  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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