Lok Sabha Question No. 2515 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-05-09
Subject: Conservation of Natural Resources
Ministry: MINES
Asked by: HEMANT TUKARAM GODSE

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF MINES

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2515 TO BE ANSWERED ON 9 TH   MAY, 2016

## 'CONSERVATION OF NATURAL RESOURCES'

## 2515.  SHRI. GODSE HEMAT TUKARAM

Will the Minister of MINES be pleased to state:

- (a) W hether the  Government has set up/proposes to set up any constitutional mechanism for conservation of natural resources in the country;
- (b)  if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) the  other  steps  taken/being  taken  by  the  Government  for  better  and  proper conservation of natural resources in the country?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR MINES AND STEEL (SHRI VISHNU DEO SAI)

- (a): Government  has  not  set  up/  does  not  propose  to  set  up  any  constitutional mechanism for conservation of natural resources in the country;
- (b): Does not arise in view of the reply to (a) above;
- (c): The National Mineral Policy ( NMP ), 2008 states that:
- (i) Conservation of minerals shall be construed not in the restrictive sense of abstinence from consumption, or preservation for use in the distant future, but as a positive concept leading to augmentation of reserve base through improvement in mining  methods,  beneficiation  and  utilisation  of  low  grade  ore  and  rejects  and recovery of associated minerals.
- (ii) All mining shall be undertaken within the parameters of a comprehensive  Sustainable  Development  Framework  which,  inter-alia  includes guiding principles for a miner to leave the mining area in a better ecological condition after mining and for optimum utilization of the country's natural mineral resources.

Section  18  of  the  Mines  and  Mineral  (Development  and  Regulation) Act,  1957  empowers  Central  Government  to  frame  rules  for  conservation  and systematic  development  of  minerals  and  for  the  protection  of  environment  by preventing  or  controlling  any  pollution  which  may  be  caused  by  prospecting  or mining  operations.  Accordingly,  Mineral  Conservation  and  Development  Rules (MCDR),  1988  were  framed  wherein  Rules  31  to  41  relate  to  regulation  of environmental aspects of mining.  As regulators, Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM) and State  Government  approve  the  mining  plan  /scheme  of  mining  for  systematic  and optimum utilization/extraction of mineral. As per the provisions of Mineral Conservation and Development Rules 1988, IBM carries out periodical inspections of mines  to  monitor  conservation  of  minerals,  systematic  and  scientific  mining  and protection  of  environment  in  the  leasehold  areas  of  minerals  other  than  minor minerals, coal and atomic minerals.

The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change has notified the  Environment  Assessment  (EIA)  Notification,  2006  on  14th  September,  2006 under the provisions of Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 to regulate the grant of environment clearance for various projects including mining projects. The impact on environment due to mining project is assessed by an EIA study. Based on the same, Environmental Management  Plan is prepared which is considered and the Environment  Clearance  is  granted  stipulating  conditions  to  regulate  impact  on environment due to the project.

The  Central  Government  while  according  approval  under  the  Forest (Conservation)  Act,  1980  stipulates  appropriate  mitigative  measures,  such  as, creation and maintenance of compensatory afforestation, realization of Net Present Value  of  the  diverted  forest  land,  implementation  of  wildlife  conservation  plan (wherever required), phased  reclamation of mined  out area, demarcation  of boundary  of  mining  lease  etc.  Safeguards  are  in  place  to  ensure  that  approvals under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 for diversion of forest land for mining are accorded only after ascertaining that the area of forest land to be diverted is bare minimum and its diversion for non-forest purpose/mining is unavoidable.

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