New Delhi: The Ministry of Coal is continuously coordinating with coal CPSEs for promoting large scale plantation on decoaled land, overburdened dumps and non-coal bearing land. As per latest assessment, during this financial year,  coal companies have completed plantation on 2338 hect. land, planting over 43 lakh saplings.  In the last five years  a total of 10,000 hect. The area has been brought under plantation, using   over 2.24 crore saplings.

Prime Minister Narenda Modi has lauded the efforts of coal companies for reclamation of decoaled land through development of “Eco-Parks”, while inaugurating Chhattisgarh East Rail Corridor dedicated for environmentally sustainable evacuation of coal.

Coal companies are undertaking mission mode efforts for bio-reclamation of available land. The Ministry of  Environment, Forest & Climate Change has promoted such plantations to be counted for the requirement of “compensatory afforestation”.  Accordingly, all coal companies have submitted proposals to the respective State Forest Department for notification of about 2800 hect. decoaled afforested land for notification as “Accredited Compensatory Afforestation Area”.  This ACA area would be counted towards future requirement of diversion of coal bearing forest land for taking up further coal mining activities.

All coal subsidiaries have dedicated cells for promotion of bio-reclamation / plantation.  The Coal Ministry has accorded highest priority for environmentally sustainable measures to ensure just transition in the coal producing areas.