Indian Coal Ministry Seeks World Bank Support in Repurposing Abandoned Coal Mines
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 29th June. India’s coal sector is working hard to meet the country’s rapidly rising energy demands by increasing coal production.
Simultaneously, the coal sector is taking a number of initiatives to move toward sustainable development, with an emphasis on environmental stewardship and a slew of measures to protect forests and biodiversity.
Coal India Ltd (CIL) has undertaken various sustainable activities, including the conservation of coal mine pit lakes, the preservation of the ecological character of wetlands, and the inclusion of such pit lakes on the significant Ramsar List, with the assistance of respective State Governments and the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
The suitability of coal mine pit lakes for Ramsar List inclusion was discussed with MoEFCC, the nodal Ministry for identifying wetlands for Ramsar List inclusion.
CIL has identified five pit lakes in the states of West Bengal, Odisha, Jharkhand, and Madhya Pradesh for consideration of inclusion in the Ramsar list, based on MoEFCC guidance. CIL is currently preparing the Ramsar Information Sheet (RIS).
These mine pit water bodies are frequented by various bird species and have an avifauna population. The environment around these bodies of water has improved as a result of CIL’s efforts through large-scale plantation and other soil moisture conservation activities.
Furthermore, the Ministry of Coal is obtaining the World Bank’s, GIZ’s, and other global institutions’ support and assistance in repurposing abandoned mine sites to make them safe, environmentally stable, and suitable for appropriate commercial use.
Solar parks, tourism, sports, forestry, agriculture, horticulture, townships, and other economic uses will be developed on reclaimed land.
The vast experience of these institutions in dealing with mine closure cases in various countries will be extremely beneficial, facilitating the adoption of best global practices in the repurposing of Indian coal mine sites.
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