CM meets Union Ministers on eco-sensitive zones, mines

Chief Minister Raghubar Das met Union Minister for Forest and Environment Harshvardhan, Steel Minister Chaudhary Birendra Singh and Coal Minister Piyush Goyal in Delhi on Tuesday. As per the officials present in the meeting issues relating to eco-sensitive zones in the State along with sluggish progress taken place in making coal and other mineral blocks operational figured prominently.

The Chief Minister in his remark after the meeting stressed over mutual coordination among different Ministries and Departments so that development and environmental protection can go hand in hand.

“The meeting remained very fruitful. We have agreed for early completion of the incomplete projects. All hurdles related to environment would be removed soon to ensure speedy growth of the State,” said the CM. Soon a team under the Union Coal Secretary would tour Jharia coal mining area where relocation and rehabilitation work of fire affected families are going on. Secretaries of Coal, Steel and MoEF also attended the meeting.  

He also demanded from Piyush Goyal, also the Rail Ministry, to run Jamshedpur-Amritsar Express daily with pantry car and for a new train from Eastern UP to Deoghar during the Shrawan.  

One of the main agendas of the meeting with the Center was issue related to eco-sensitive zones and related guidelines for that. “The Ministry of Forest and Environment has clearly laid down dos and don’ts for around 10 kilometers periphery of any protected area such as sanctuaries and eco-sensitive zones. The Supreme Court has also ordered in this direction prohibiting certain activities around the 10 kms periphery. Even if it is not notified the regulations are there for deemed eco-sensitive zone as well. The State Government in the past though had approached the Center seeking further clarity on this,” said a senior official of the Forest and Environment Department.

As per the procedure, any commercial or non-forest activities around the 10 kilometer area of any eco-sensitive zone or deemed eco-sensitive zone can be permitted only after prior clearance from the National Board of Wildlife. Since the State has several such zones in the form of Palamu Tiger Reserve, Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary and others, the meeting kept focus on that.

It is learnt that the Ministry officials referred to the guidelines once again to the Chief Minister and his team of officials comprising Chief Secretary Sudhir Tripathi, Additional Chief Secretaries DK Tiwari and IS Chaturvedi, Principal Secretary to the CM Sunil Kumar Barnwal besides Principal Chief Conservator of Forest cum Head of Force Sanjay Kumar and also Executive Director of the Wasteland Development Board of Jharkhand.        

Also, the officials accompanying the CM stressed over clearances being given to the mineral blocks, especially coal blocks located in the State. “Several coal and iron ore blocks allocated to different companies in Jharkhand are yet be made operational due to rigorous forest and environmental clearances. This is causing revenue loss to the State as well as obstructing the mineral production. We have urged the Center to relax some of the norms and expedite the whole process,” said an official.