Team News Riveting
Raipur, March 24
Chhattisgarh has checked the expansion plan of Coal India Limited (CIL) as it deferred the public hearing convened to expand the Dipka mine managed by its arm.
South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL), an entity of the CIL with headquarters in Chhattisgarh’s Bilaspur district, has sought permission for enhancing the capacity of Dipka opencast mine from 35 million tonnes (MT) to 40 MT. The Chhattisgarh Environment Conservation Board (CECB) had convened the public hearing on Wednesday in Korba district.
Just a day before, the Korba district administration issued an order cancelling the proposed public hearing. It cited a letter of Korba Superintendent of Police, raising concern over the law and order. The police said the villagers were irked with the SECL and hence there was a possibility of law and order slipping out of control.
In the rara instances, the public hearing is cancelled on the issue of law and order as the proceedings act as a platform to note the grievances of the affected people.
The coal miner had planned to expand the mine in a lease area of about 2000 hectares. The mine has an estimated reserve of 975 MT.
In February last year, the Union Environment Ministry’s Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) had given the go-ahead for a 30-year environmental clearance extension for Dipka opencast coal mine.
The expansion of Dipka was crucial given the increasing demand of dry fuel in the country. It is among the three large open cast mines after Gevra and Kusmunda run by the SECL. Gevra and Kusmunda have less life compared to Dipka.
