Lok Sabha Question No. 1375 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-12-07
Subject: Conservation of Natural Resources
Ministry: MINES
Asked by: VIJAY KUMAR HANSDAK, SANGANNA AMARAPPA KARADI

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF MINES LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1375 TO BE ANSWERED ON 07 TH  DECEMBER, 2015 CONSERVATION OF NATURAL RESOURCES

## †1375.    SHRI VIJAY KUMAR HANSDAK: SHRI SANGANNA AMARAPPA:

Will the Minister of MINES be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  damage is  being caused  to  the  natural  resources  due  to  constant  mining  in  various  parts  of  the country including Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh;
- (b) if  so,  the  details  thereof  along  with  the  steps  taken  by  the  Government  for  the  conservation  of  natural resources in the mining areas;
- (c) whether any scheme is being implemented by the Government for the conservation of natural resources; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof?

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

(a) to  (d):  The  National  Mineral Policy (NMP), 2008  recognizes that  the  extraction  of  minerals  closely impacts other natural resources like land, water, air and forest. NMP, 2008 inter-alia enunciates 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  Mines  and  Minerals (Development  and  Regulation) Act, 1957  empowers Central Government to frame rules for the 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  are  on regulation of environmental aspects of mining. As regulators, Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM) (a subordinate office of the Ministry of Mines) and State Governments approve the mining plan /scheme of mining for systematic and optimum utilisation/extraction of mineral.

The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change has notified the Environment Impact 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  projects  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 nonforest purpose/ mining is unavoidable.

*********