Govt has identified 30 coal mines to be closed over next 2-3 years

Coal

Union coal secretary Amrit Lal Meena said on May 15 that the Government has identified 30 coal mines that would be closed over the next two to three years.

He said that the Government of India has identified 30 mines where the coal mining has been over and coal companies have started a two-three-year exercise of closure.

Apart from that, India is also putting the de-coaled land to environment-friendly use, which may include creating forests by putting fly ash or using it for agricultural purposes, Meena said.

While there has been mounting pressure from various nations on India to help limit the impact of climate change, the top government official pointed out that 50 lakh people are directly dependent on coal mining.

The country, which is keen to up its pace of development to take care of an increasingly aspirational population, has chosen a path of climate justice and aims to pursue a balanced growth model based on the principles of Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities, Meena told reporters.

"As per our estimation, about 50 lakh people are engaged directly or indirectly in coal mining activities, especially in eastern Indian states. So, just transition has to cater to that challenge," he said.

Meena said questions surrounding the livelihoods of these 50 lakh people, alternate vocations, skulking, healthcare, and education have to be considered while charting the way forward.

He did not answer a question on what would be India's specific agenda during the third meeting of the G-20 energy transitions working group, which began in the financial capital on Monday, or the consensus that the country is seeking to achieve.

The official also pointed out that India needs coal to help achieve the economic growth targets, and the government is also pushing forward with the agenda of higher private sector involvement in coal mining. “The aim is to get up to a fourth of the overall coal extracted by private enterprises by 2030,” Meena said, adding that response from the private sector for the seventh round of coal mine auctions has been “encouraging”.

So far, 87 mines have been allotted to private sector companies since 2020 in six rounds of auction, and the target is to have a private installed capacity of 500 million tonnes at peak rate capacity, he said, adding that it takes up to four years for a mine to start production after it is allotted.

The coal secretary further informed that four of the 87 mines have already started production, and a majority of the rest will start production by FY25.

(With PTI inputs)