Mahagenco’s mining project in Raigarh put on ice- The Hindu- 29-12-2019, Page-9

News:

The Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC), has decided to “return the proposal in its present form” to the Maharashtra State Power Generation Company Limited (Mahagenco) to operate the Gare Palma Sector-II coal mine.

In September 2019, during a public hearing for 2,245 project-affected families in 14 villages, residents highlighted the impact of the existing projects on groundwater and air quality, besides damage to fields due to spillage of fly ash, cracks in houses caused by blasting and fires in coal mines and stockpiles.

Seeking clarifications and inputs on 20 points, the EAC has asked for compliance report on the issues raised during the hearing with a “certain timeline and allocation” and a social impact assessment study for the proposed displacement of tribals and the Scheduled Castes.

Recently, a five-member panel set up by the National Green Tribunal found the Tamnar-Gharghoda region, which has 13 coal mines and 12 power plants, close to exceeding its environmental carrying capacity.

The team also highlighted the negligence by the existing projects, with at least 27% of the fly ash from power plants being dumped in low-lying areas in a highly unscientific manner, destroying agricultural fields.