MoEF panel clears coal mine in Chhattisgarh elephant corridor

The South Eastern Coalfield Limited's (SECL) Jagannathpur coal mining project in Chhattisgarh, which falls in an important elephant corridor between Semarsot and Tamor Pingla wildlife sanctuaries, has got Centre's in-principle forest clearance. The Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) recommended clearance with specific conditions including a wildlife management plan and protection of Mahan river, among others. The FAC is a statutory body under the environment ministry that appraises projects which use forest land for non-forestry purposes.

SECL's total mine lease is 652 hectares, of which 126 hectares falls in forest land across Balrampur and Surajpur forest divisions north of Mahan river. The mine has 3 million tonnes of coal reserve that will be mined over a period of 22 years, official documents said. During the project's appraisal, FAC discussed the migratory path of elephants and the local forest division's site inspection report.

"The area between Tamor Pingla and Semarsot wildlife sanctuaries is an important link for elephants and other faunal movement," it noted. FAC has thus stipulated a condition that the state government shall prepare an elephant management plan at the cost of SECL to ensure safe and secure passage for elephant movement in that area.

"The State Government shall assess the extent of forest land required for the purpose of forest connectivity and the use by wildlife, elephants in particular. It will undertake a scientific study for direct and indirect signs related to occupancy/habitat utilisation. Based on the outcomes of the study, areas falling in the elephant corridor, if any, should be delineated from mining," the FAC said.

The FAC meeting minutes also said the wildlife conservation plan, including activities of the elephant outside the proposed area, costs Rs 9 crore.

According to the site inspection report of the divisional forest officer, elephants move for over a distance of approximately 180kms in that stretch. The report added that elephants are seen in 20 per cent area in the forest land proposed to be diverted.

Conditions

Forest Advisory Committee gave clearance with specific conditions such as wildlife management plan and Mahan river protection. 
SECL’s total lease is 652 hectares, of which 126 falls in forest land across Balrampur and Surajpur divisions between Semarsot and Tamor Pingla wildlife sanctuaries.