Lok Sabha Question No. 568 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-07-24
Subject: Environmental Pollution due to Mining Activities
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Chandra Sekhar Bellana, Pritam Gopinath Munde, Rahul Ramesh Shewale

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

## LOKSABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION N0. 568

TO BE ANSWERED ON 24.07.2023

## Environmental Pollution due to Mining activities

## 568. SHRI CHANDRA SEKHAR SAHU: DR PRITAM GOPINATHRAO MUNDE: SHRI RAHUL RAMESH SHEWALE:

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

- (a) whether  the  Government  has  taken  note  of  the  serious  environmental  and  social concerns including air, noise, water pollution and land degradation caused due to coal mining activities in the country;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether  it  is  a  fact  that  large  number  of  coal  mining  is  undertaken  by  Coal  India Limited  and  its  subsidiaries  which  are  openly  flouting  environmental  norms  in  the country;
- (d) if so, the facts and the details in this regard; and
- (e) the corrective steps taken by the Government to ensure that all mines/washeries have air quality monitoring stations to facilitate online monitoring of ambient air quality in the country?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE

(SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

- (a) to  (e)  In  order  to  assess  the  possible  environment  and  social  impacts  due  to  various project  activities  including  coal  mining,  the  Central  Government  has  devised  the process of Environment Impact Assessment, as a regulatory tool under the provision of Environment  (Protection)  Act,  1986.  Under  the  said  Act,  Ministry  of  Environment, Forest  and  Climate  Change  (MoEF&CC)  has  notified  the  Environment  Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification, 2006 asamended from time to time, which deals with the  process  of  granting  Environmental  Clearance  (EC)  after  having  comprehensive analysis  of  EIA  reports  prepared  by  the  coal  companies.  The  coal  mining  projects accordingly  are  required  to  obtain  the  prior  Environment  Clearance  under  the  EIA, Notification 2006.

It  is  to  mention  that  Coal  mining  works  are  site  specific  activities  and  may  cause various impacts which can be ameliorated by taking necessary ameliorative measures. Any likely impacts due to coal mining activities on ambient air, water, land and noise levels at project site along with social impact in nearby areas,are assessed in EIA report and accordingly itsmitigation measures areincorporated in theEnvironmental Management Plan (EMP) report.

Apart  from  the  above,  the  concerns  of  local  affected  persons  and  others  who  have plausible  stake  in  the  environmental  impacts  of  the  project  or  activity,are  addressed through the process of public consultation/hearing under the EIA, Notification, 2006. The project proponents are required to address the issues appropriately in EIA and EMP reportsarising  from  public  consultation  with  budgetary  provision.  The  EIA  and  EMP are  evaluated  and  appraised  by  the  Expert  Appraisal  Committee  (EAC),  comprising domain expertsandbased on their recommendations MoEF&CC considers the proposals for granting the Environment Clearance (EC) to coal mining projects.

In addition, any forest diversion required for coal mining activities are covered under the provision of Forest (Conservation), Act, 1980. The Coal companies are required to take  separate  Forest  Clearance  (FC)  under  the  said  Act  to  assess  the  amount  of  land degradation.

The  coal  mines  &  subsidiaries  under  Coal  India  Limited  (CIL)commence  their operation  onlyafter  obtaining  Environment,  Forest  Clearance  and  other statutory permissions  from  the  State  Government.  The  pollution  control  measures  as  per EIA/EMP  reports  and  conditions  laid  down  in  EC  and  FC  are  required  to  be implemented by the project proponent to minimize the damage caused to environment due to mining. The pollution control norms are also monitored by the concerned State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) and Union Territories (UTs). The respective SPCBs/UTsissues the Consent to Operate under the provisions of Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 and Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 to oversee the compliance of emissions/effluent standards and take action against violators under the provision of said Water and Air Acts.

As  per  the  EIA  Notification,  as  amended,  the  Project  Proponents  are  mandated  to submit  six  monthly  compliance  reports  to  the  concerned  Integrated  Regional  Office (IRO) of the Ministry. In order to monitor the online air quality of project site in coal mining areas/washeries, a condition for installing the Continuous Air Quality Monitoring  Station  (CAQMS)  is  prescribed  with  aim  to  integrate  the  environmental data with the server of Central & State Pollution Control Boards. MoEF&CC through its  Integrated  Regional  Offices  monitors  the  compliance  of  this  condition  on  regular basis.

As per available information, M/s Coal India Limited (CIL) has installed 72 Continuous Ambient  Air  Quality  Monitoring  Stations  (CAQMS)  for  air  quality  monitoring.  The CIL has also installed 70 PM10 Analyser through its subsidiaries namely M/s Eastern Coalfields  Limited,  M/s  Central  Coalfields  Limited  and  M/s  Bharat  Coking  Coal Limited including 7 PM10 analysers in coal washeries.

*****