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Coal and Lignite Public Sector Undertakings, namely Coal India Limited (CIL), NLC India Limited and Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL), have biologically reclaimed and afforested about 55,312 hectares (Ha) of land in and around their mining areas up to FY 2023-24, Union Minister of Coal and Mines G. Kishan Reddy told the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. 

The estimated carbon sink potential of the greening initiatives is 2.77 million tonnes CO2 equivalent. The greening initiatives of Coal & Lignite PSUs contribute to India's Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) target titled "to create an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent through additional forest and tree cover by 2030", the Minister said in a written reply to a question.

The Ministry of Coal has set target for land reclamation and afforestation for Coal/Lignite PSUs under Vision Viksit Bharat has been set at 15,350 hectares for next 5 years. The target for the current financial year has been fixed at 2,600 hectares.

In addition to traditional methods of plantation, some of the innovative techniques being adopted by Coal & Lignite PSUs are seed ball plantation, Miyawaki plantation, high-tech cultivation, bamboo plantation, and drip irrigation for plantations on overburden dumps, the Minister said.

Measures to ensure the long-term sustainability of reclaimed and afforested areas in Coal & Lignite PSUs focus on scientific reclamation, biodiversity conservation, and socio-economic integration.

Initiatives include topsoil management, planting native species, creating wildlife habitats, and monitoring by remote sensing. Afforestation activities are mostly carried out by the State Forest Departments and State Forest Development Corporations in the Coal/Lignite PSUs.

Reclaimed areas are repurposed for eco-parks, agroforestry, water sports, pisciculture and renewable energy projects. Afforested areas on non-forest land are also offered as compensatory afforestation (CA) land for forest diversion for coal mining projects, he said.

In answer to another question in the Lok Sabha, the Minister said sustainable development of the coal sector requires protection of environment, conservation of resources, care for society and safeguarding forests and biodiversity.

The government is taking measures such as prior Environmental Clearance (EC) from the Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change (MoEF&CC) before opening a new mine or for enhancement in Production capacity or land area of an existing mine.

In compliance of the Van (Sanrakshan evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980, prior Forestry Clearance is also obtained from MoEF&CC, in case of projects involving forest land.