Coal Ministry seeks view on draft coal, lignite mining plan norms

New Delhi: The coal ministry on Tuesday said it held a stakeholders' consultation on draft Mining Plan Guidelines for Coal and Lignite Blocks, 2024, which proposes optimum extraction of mineral resources while ensuring sustainable resource management.

The key elements of the draft norms include the mandatory inclusion of restoration, remediation, and regeneration actions in mining plans for sustainable resource management, the ministry said in a statement.

The discussion saw participation of 25 coal and lignite mining companies including public sector enterprises, captive and commercial miners, and officials from Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Meghalaya and Uttar Pradesh.

Adoption of advanced technology in mining is crucial for enhancing productivity, safety and efficiency, according to the draft guidelines.

The proposed norms refer to 'just transition' which means the equitable process of transitioning from traditional coal mining toward more sustainable and environmentally friendly manner. It will ensure the environment is protected, land is restored, and affected workers, communities, and regions are supported throughout the transformation. It also involves recognizing and addressing the social, economic, and environmental challenges associated with mine closure activities.

Every mine owner will take precautions for undertaking sustainable mining while mining and mine closure activities, the norms propose.

In underground mining the norms include the utilization of state-of-the-art blast-free technologies such as longwall mining systems, continuous miners, etc.

The project proponent shall phase out the manual mining and give preference to mechanized mining or mass production technologies such as longwall mining, and continuous miners over semi mechanized methods.