Team News Riveting
Raipur, July 11
The Gare Pelma (GP) Sector-II coal mines project being developed by Maharashtra State Electricity Generation Company Limited (Mahagenco) in Raigarh district of Chhattisgarh has been granted all the necessary approvals by the government.
The coal mine is now fully ready for operation. The project will meet the energy requirements of India as well as promote employment and infrastructure development opportunities in the state of Chhattisgarh.
Under this project, about 655.15 million tonnes of coal reserves will be exploited and its maximum production capacity is 23.6 million metric tonnes per annum. A total investment of Rs 7463 crore is being made in the project. Along with this, the state of Chhattisgarh will get revenue of about Rs 29,000 crore in the form of royalty, district mineral fund, GST and other charges during the period of operation.
About 3,400 direct jobs will be created under the project. Apart from this, many indirect employment opportunities will also be available in the area in mining, transportation, construction, catering, security, supply chain and other service sectors.
Many regulatory processes and approvals were completed in a phased manner to start this project.
In the year 2015, the coal block was allotted to Mahagenco by the Ministry of Coal, Government of India. The application for mining lease was submitted in the year 2015 and the mining plan was approved in the year 2016. The application for environmental clearance (EC) was submitted on 12 April 2016 and the public hearing was held in the year 2019. EC approval was received on 13 August 2024. Stage-I and Stage-II approvals were received by the Forest Department on 2 June 2022 and 27 January 2023 respectively.
Final forest clearance was granted by the State Government on 27 August 2024. Mahagenco has already started various development works in the project area. In addition, it will also try to carry out development work in the future. These efforts include education, health, sanitation, infrastructure development, training, livelihood support and promotion of cultural activities. The project, affecting 14 villages, is being implemented with an inclusive rehabilitation and resettlement plan, in which 3296 families will be rehabilitated as per the prescribed policy.
The families have actively participated in the process, taking a positive step towards their social and economic upliftment, which will provide them better lifestyle, employment opportunities and better access to basic amenities. Keeping in view the environmental protection and sustainability, Mahagenco has proposed significant investments for green belt development, plantation, water conservation, pollution control and post mining land reclamation under a comprehensive Environmental Management Plan (EMP) throughout the mining project.
Raigarh district is known as the energy capital of Chhattisgarh, where 4 active coal mines and 1 Mine Development Operator based opencast project are operated under South Eastern Coalfields Limited. The region is a leader in coal production and contributes significantly to India’s energy self-sufficiency.
Gare Palma Sector-II Coal Mine Project will act as a balanced model to meet the requirements of the energy sector as well as improve the living standards of local communities and maintain environmental balance.
Mahagenco is a leading power generation company of Maharashtra State, a wholly owned subsidiary of Maharashtra State Electricity Board Holding Company. Mahagenco has a total power generation capacity of 13,880.55 MW, out of which about 73.5 per cent (10,200 MW) is generated from thermal (coal) sources. It is the largest state government-controlled power generation company in India. Electricity generated by Mahagenco is supplied to more than 2 crore consumers in Maharashtra.
