The Ministry of Coal is actively collaborating with coal CPSEs to promote large-scale plantation on decoaled land, overburden dumps, and non-coal bearing land. In the current fiscal year, coal companies have successfully carried out plantation on 2338 hectares of land, involving the planting of over 43 lakh saplings. Over the past five years, a total of 10,000 hectares have been brought under plantation, with more than 2.24 crore saplings utilized.
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has commended the endeavors of coal companies in the reclamation of decoaled land, particularly through the development of “Eco-Parks.” This was acknowledged during the inauguration of the Chhattisgarh East Rail Corridor, which is dedicated to environmentally sustainable coal evacuation.
Coal companies are proactively engaged in mission-oriented initiatives for the bio-reclamation of available land. The Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change has endorsed such plantation efforts as a means of meeting the requirement for “compensatory afforestation.” Consequently, all coal companies have submitted proposals to their respective State Forest Departments for the notification of around 2800 hectares of decoaled afforested land, earmarked as an “Accredited Compensatory Afforestation Area” (ACA). This ACA area will be factored in for future needs regarding the diversion of coal-bearing forest land for subsequent coal mining activities.
Each coal subsidiary has established a dedicated unit for the promotion of bio-reclamation and plantation. The Coal Ministry has accorded the highest priority to environmentally sustainable measures, ensuring a just transition in coal-producing regions.