Coal news and updates

EC clearances may soon gain momentum

November 14: Coal India Ltd (CIL) expects faster clearances of mining projects on the back of the formation of the new committee for according environmental clearances (EC).

“The government appears to be taking things seriously. Appointment of members to the committee has been done and this is a positive development,” CIL’s Director (Technical) N Kumar said when asked by ICMW if there was any improvement in receiving environmental clearances for new projects.

Not a single meeting of the EC had been held after the general elections in May because the committee to monitor such clearances had to be recast, according to information available with ICMW.

“However, there has been some impact, so far as clearances are concerned,” Kumar said.

“But asking for radical changes in getting clearances would amount to asking too much in too short a time. It takes time to progress,” Kumar said when asked about the situation so far as clearances of new projects are concerned.

Asked about any changes witnessed in land acquisition issues in recent months, the Director (Technical) said there had been no major reforms so far as land is concerned.

“The land Bill is still pending with the government. I will not say it is status quo, but in places where the state government cooperates, acquisition takes place easily. Where there is less cooperation, acquisition gets delayed,” Kumar said.

It is slightly easier to acquire land in Chhattisgarh but, of course, there are problems in Odisha and Jharkhand, he added.

“If there is indeed a problem with land acquisition, then where is the additional production coming from,” he said.