MEETING HELD ON 18th-19th JUNE 2012 IN SCOPE COMPLE

8(ii) Tikak Extn. OCP (0.2 MTPA in ML area of 192 ha) of North-Eastern Coalfields of M/s CoalIndia Ltd., district Tinsukia, Assam (Further consideration of EC based on TOR)The EAC (T&C) in its meeting held on 17 th -18 th October 2011 had decided that a Sub-Committee wouldvisit the aforesaid mines located in North-Eastern Coalfields, Assam. A Sub-Committee consisting ofProf. C.R.Babu (Vice-Chairman), Shri T.K.Dhar (Member), Dr.R.K.Garg (Advisor, CIL) and Dr.T.Chandini,Director, MOEF visited the coalmines during 4 th -6 th April 2012. The Sub-Committee was accompanied bythe Chief General Manager (Shri A. K. Bora), General Manager (Dr D.Sarkar) and other senior officials ofNEC.The Report of the Sub-Committee is at Annexure-3 and has the following major observations:(i) The low lying hill ranges which bear coal reserves are mostly composed of clayey or clayey silt soils,and harbour biologically rich, 4-5 with abundant epiphytes and climbers. These hill ranges arewater sheds for complex network of streams, rivulets and rivers that drain the entire area intolarger river system of Bramhaputra. Removals of forest cover from these hills. Any changes to landuse for opencast mining could lead to (i) massive landslides and (ii) excess surface runoff resultingin floods in the downstream. For environmental conservation, the coal reserves in these mines arebest extracted by underground mining - a method followed during the British rule and still followedby NEC.(ii)Opencast mining results in deforestation of biologically richest` tropical rainforest biome in one ofthe hotspots of the world leading to loss of biodiversity, including some rare, endangered andthreatened and endemic biota, particularly orchids and butterflies.(iii) Although the climax primary forests have been logged, the secondary forests developed are alsobiologically rich.(iv) Apart from the loss of biodiversity and adverse changes in hydrology, the other major issue of opencast mining is the acid drainage from OBDs and cut surfaces of hills, and mine void acid waterleading to acid pollution of streams/rivers and also the soils.Keeping these vital aspects in view, after careful analysis of the work done by NEC and field observationmade, the subgroup recommends the following:(i)(ii)In general, underground mining should be undertaken in the coal mining areas of North-EasternCoalfields, which harbour luxuriant tropical rainforest ecosystems.Opencast mining could be permitted in the two aforesaid proposed blocks (as the forest cover inthe blocks has already been removed by shifting cultivation) on the following specific conditions:(a) No external OBD should be allowed to remain for long period and should be used to backfillthe void in order to avoid problems of Acid Mine Drainage (AMD);(b) The original topographic features such as slope of the hills, valleys and peaks should takeninto consideration while re-handling the OBD and for backfilling the mine voids and theMining Plan should be drawn to ensure that critical biotopes are excluded from mining,wherever possible;(c) Rare, endangered/ threatened and endemic species are introduced into ex-situ conservationareas such as Orchidarium, Butterfly Parks and Arboretums before the mining operation;