Lok Sabha Question No. 2656 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-12-15
Subject: Impact of Mining on Wildlife
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: BHEEMRAO BASWANTHRAO PATIL

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.  2656

TO BE ANSWERED ON 15.12.2015

## Impact of Mining on Wildlife

## 2656.  BHEEMRAO B. PATIL:

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

- (a) whether the Government has taken note of mining activities in the forest areas affecting the lives of the animals and birds of the forest;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the details of action taken by the Government to protect wildlife from mining activity in forest areas in the country; and
- (d) if so, the details of directions issued by the Government to the States/UTs in this regard?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## (SHRI PRAKASH JAVADEKAR)

- (a) to (d) Non-forestry activities, including mining, in the forest areas affect the wildlife of the area. Use of forest areas for such activities is approved by the Central Government under Section 2 of the Forest (conservation) Act, 1980 with adequate environmental safeguards and afforestation measures in lieu of forest land proposed to be utilized for  mining  activities.  The  Central  Government,  since  the  enactment  of  the  Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, has accorded approval over 12,06,320 ha of forest land in 25,879 cases for various developmental activities including mining.

The  Ministry,  after  examination  of  the  proposals  seeking  diversion  of  forest  land, recommends  need  based  project  specific  studies  to  assess  the  impact  of  project activity on the flora and fauna in the area proposed to be diverted under the Forest (Conservation)  Act,  1980  and  accordingly  recommends  necessary  environmental safeguards as additional conditions viz. project specific Wildlife Conservation Plan, Comprehensive  Wildlife  Conservation  Plan,  additional  compensatory  afforestation, site  specific  soil  conservation  measures,  specific  studies  on  impact  of  project activities  on  flora  and  fauna,  measures  to  facilitate  wildlife  movement  across  the roads and railway lines, detailed studies about the flora and fauna and their habitats. In  addition  to  the  aforementioned  additional  conditions,  ggeneral  and  standard conditions  which inter-alia include  raising  of  compensatory  afforestation  (CA), imposition of Net Present Value (NPV) to reduce the adverse impact, minimum tree felling, arrangement of alternate fuels, afforestation measures in the blanks within the forest area, phase wise mining operations, management of safety zone, reclamation of quarry, conservation of topsoil, preparation and implementation of Catchment Area Treatment  Plan,  Muck  Disposal  Plan,  maintenance  of  prescribed  Right  of  Way (RoW), plantation of dwarf species are also stipulated in the approvals granted by the Central Government.

Further,  in  case  a  proposal  involves  diversion  of  forest  land  located  within  a Protected Area notified in accordance with the provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, approval of the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) is required  to  be  obtained  by  the  concerned  user  agency  before  grant  of approval under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 and conditions recommended by the NBWL are required to be complied with by the concerned user agency. Further, projects  falling  in  the  important  tiger  habitats  are  also  examined  by  the  National Tiger  Conservation  Authority  to  ensure  protection  and  conservation  of  the  tiger habitats.

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