Lok Sabha Question No. 1400 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-04
Subject: Greening Initiatives in Coal and Lignite PSUs
Ministry: COAL
Asked by: Shri P P Chaudhary

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COAL

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1400 TO BE ANSWERED ON 04.12.2024

## Greening Initiatives in Coal and Lignite PSUs

## 1400.   SHRI P P CHAUDHARY:

## Will the Minister of Coal be pleased to state:

- (a) the total area of land reclaimed and afforested by Coal/Lignite PSUs under the Greening Initiatives in Coal & Lignite PSUs;
- (b) the break-up of areas under biological reclamation, avenue plantation and plantation outside mine leaseholds;
- (c) the estimated carbon sink potential created by these greening initiatives and the manner in which it contributes to India's Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) target;
- (d) whether the Government has set any specific targets for land reclamation and afforestation by Coal/Lignite PSUs for the coming years and if so, the details thereof;
- (e) the innovative techniques being adopted for plantation in coal mines; and
- (f) the measures taken to ensure the long-term sustainability of these reclaimed and afforested areas including plans for their future use and maintenance?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF COAL AND MINES (SHRI G. KISHAN REDDY)

(a) and (b): Coal & Lignite Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs), namely Coal India Limited (CIL), NLC India Limited (NLCIL) and Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL), have biologically reclaimed and afforested about 55312 Hectares (Ha) of land in and around Coal and Lignite mining areas upto FY 2023-24 as given below:

| Type of Plantation                 |   Area (in Ha) |
|------------------------------------|----------------|
| Biological Reclamation             |          37022 |
| Avenue Plantation                  |          14463 |
| Plantation Outside Mine Leaseholds |           3827 |
| Total                              |          55312 |

- (c): The estimated carbon sink potential of the greening initiatives is 2.77 million tonnes CO2 equivalent. The greening initiatives of Coal & Lignite PSUs contribute to India's Nationally

Determined Contribution (NDC) target titled 'to create an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent through additional forest and tree cover by 2030'.

(d): Ministry  of  Coal  has  set  target  for  land  reclamation  and  afforestation  for  Coal/Lignite PSUs under Vision Viksit Bharat for next 5 years as given below:

| Financial Year   | Target for Land Reclamation and Afforestation (in Ha)   |
|------------------|---------------------------------------------------------|
| 2024-25          | 2,600                                                   |
| 2025-26          | 2,800                                                   |
| 2026-27          | 3,100                                                   |
| 2027-28          | 3,300                                                   |
| 2028-29          | 3,550                                                   |
| Total            | 15,350                                                  |

(e): In addition to traditional methods of plantation, some of the innovative techniques being adopted by Coal & Lignite PSUs are seed ball plantation, Miyawaki planation, High-Tech cultivation, bamboo plantation, and drip irrigation for plantation on overburden dumps, etc.

(f): Measures to ensure the long-term sustainability of reclaimed and afforested areas in Coal & Lignite PSUs focus on scientific reclamation, biodiversity conservation, and socio-economic integration. Initiatives include topsoil management, planting native species, creating wildlife habitats, and monitoring by remote sensing. Afforestation activities are mostly carried out by the State Forest Departments and State Forest Development Corporations in the Coal/Lignite PSUs. Reclaimed areas are repurposed for eco-parks, agroforestry, water sports, pisciculture and  renewable  energy  projects.  Afforested  areas  on  non-forest  land  are  also  offered  as compensatory afforestation (CA) land for forest diversion for coal mining projects.

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