Centre allows expansion of Odisha’s Kulda coal mine despite air pollution fears
The Union environment ministry’s expert appraisal committee (EAC) has recommended environmental clearance for expanding the capacity of the Kulda opencast coal mine in Odisha’s Sundargarh district by 20%, overriding opposition by residents concerned over the project’s impact on their health, agriculture and water bodies.
The mine’s output will now increase from the current 14 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) to 19.60 MTPA.
The clearance was recommended on condition that Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) which owns the mine, will plant 100,000 native trees with broad leaves along the villages and 50,000 trees along the transportation route in two years to prevent air pollution, according to the latest minutes of the EAC published on the Parivesh website.
The EAC has also directed MCL to operationalise three air quality monitoring stations by March, update related data in real time on the company website and display it in the mining lease area.
Residents of nine villages in Himgiri Tehsil of Sundargarh district had written to the EAC last month that the MCL did not comply with conditions of the green clearance recommended in February 2018 for capacity expansion from 10 MTPA to 14 MTPA.
