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The Ministry of Coal is spearheading a substantial afforestation initiative within the coal sector, in a step towards promoting environmental sustainability and aligning with the principles of sustainable development.
This undertaking aims to revitalize decoaled land, overburden dumps, and non-coal bearing areas through large-scale plantation efforts, read the Ministry of Coal press release. The latest assessment reveals that during this financial year, coal companies have successfully completed plantation on a vast expanse of 2338 hectares of land, cultivating over 43 lakh saplings. Over the past five years, an impressive total of 10,000 hectares of land have been brought under plantation, with over 2.24 crore saplings contributing to this remarkable endeavor. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has praised the unwavering dedication of coal companies in their efforts to reclaim decoaled land through the creation of "Eco-Parks", read the press release. This commendation came during the inauguration of the Chhattisgarh East Rail Corridor, a dedicated environmentally sustainable coal evacuation route. As part of their mission-mode efforts, coal companies are actively engaged in the bio-reclamation of available land. The Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change has supported such plantation initiatives, recognizing them as "compensatory afforestation", read the release. Consequently, all coal companies have submitted proposals to their respective State Forest Departments for the notification of approximately 2800 hectares of decoaled afforested land as "Accredited Compensatory Afforestation Areas" (ACA), read the release. This ACA designation will count towards fulfilling future requirements for the diversion of coal-bearing forest land for upcoming coal mining activities, read the release. To promote and manage bio-reclamation and plantation efforts, all coal subsidiaries have established dedicated cells. The Coal Ministry has prioritized environmentally sustainable measures, ensuring a just transition in coal-producing areas and underlining the government's commitment to both environmental conservation and responsible coal production. This initiative represents a significant stride towards achieving the nation's sustainable development goals. (ANI)
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