GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT AND FORESTS

 

RAJYA SABHA

 

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.  630

 

TO BE ANSWERED ON 01.03.2011

 

Environmental clearance to pending projects

 

630.     DR. K.P. RAMALINGAM:    

                                        

            Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT AND FORESTS be pleased to state:

 

(a)

whether Government has imposed a go no go policy for coal mining resulting in no new projects getting clearance in the last one year;

(b)

if so, whether this move has stuck key power projects and several road highway projects passing through wildlife sanctuaries;

(c)

if so, the details thereof;

(d)

whether Government has proposed to provide all clearance to complete the pending projects without harming nation’s wildlife and forest areas; and

(e)

the details thereof?

 

 

ANSWER

 

MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR ENVIRONMENT AND FORESTS

 

(SHRI JAIRAM RAMESH)

 

(a) to (c):

‘The Ministry of Environment and Forests through Forest Survey of India (FSI) and the Ministry of Coal through Central Mine Planning & Design Institute Limited (CMPDI) have jointly undertaken an exercise to overlay the forest cover map on the coal block boundaries in respect of 9 coalfields in the country and identified various coal blocks as category ‘A’ (No-Go) and Category ‘B’ (Go). As per this exercise, 153 coal blocks covering about 2.68 lakh ha have been categorized as category ‘A’ and 449 blocks covering about 3.80 lakh ha have been categorized as category ‘B’ out of total number of 602 coal blocks covering about 6.48 lakh ha.

 

The categorization of forest land as ‘Go’ and ‘No-Go’ was limited to coal blocks only having its implications for some thermal power projects. The details of the thermal power projects, thus impacted and under consideration, are enclosed as annexure. This has, however, no effect on road highway projects.

 

(d) & (e):

Under the provisions of Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, the Central Government accords prior approval for diversion of forest land for non-forestry purpose taking into account the impact of the project on forest and wildlife of the area.

 

******

 

 

Annexure

 

STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) to (c) OF THE RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 630 BY DR. K.P. RAMALINGAM REGARDING “ENVIRONMENTAL CLEARANCE TO PENDING PROJECTS” DUE FOR REPLY ON 01.03.2011.

 

 

Details of different thermal power projects impacted by the ‘Go’ and ‘No-Go’ categorization and under consideration of the Central Government.

 

S. No.

Name of Proposals

Forest area (in ha)

 

Name of user Agencies

 

1

Mahan coal block in Singaraulli coalfield, Madhya Pradesh

 

903.00

Allotted jointly to Essar and Hindalco Thermal Power Project (TPP)

 

2

Chhatrasal coal block in Singaraulli coalfield, Madhya Pradesh

768.00

Allotted to Sasan Ultra Mega Power Project (UMPP)

 

3

Parsa East coal block in Hasdeo-Arand  coalfields, Chhattisgarh

1898.328

Allotted to Rajsthan Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Limited (RRVUNL)

 

4

Kante Basan coal block in Hasdeo-Arand  coalfields, Chhattisgarh

 

1654.109

Allotted to Rajsthan Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Limited (RRVUNL)

 

5

Morga-II coal block in Hasdeo-Arand  coalfields, Chhattisgarh

 

1987.912

 Allotted to Chhatrtisgarh Thermal Power Project

6

Parsa coal block in Hasdeo-Arand  coalfields, Chhattisgarh

 

2076.532

Chattisgarh State Electricity Board’s Marwah TPP

 

7

Chakla coal block in North Karanpura  coalfields, Jharkhand

 

444.00

Allotted to Essar’s Tori TPP

8

Ashok Karkata coal block in North Karanpura  coalfields, Jharkhand

 

2102.00

Allotted to Essar’s Tori TPP

9

Sayang coal block in Hasdeo-Arand  coalfields, Chhattisgarh

742.121

Allotted to AES Chhattisgarh Energy Pvt. Ltd.