Go,No Go controversy goes to group of ministers now

As of now,such a classification exists only for coal blocks but is planned to be expanded to iron ore,as well,at a later stage.

The government today decided to constitute a new group of ministers GoM to settle the long-running tussle between the ministry of environment amp; forests MoEF and the coal ministry over the Go,No Go classification of coal mines in forest areas. The constitution of the GoM is yet to be decided.

While opposing the demand of the coal ministry to do away with the Go,No Go classification for coal mines falling in forest areas,the MoEF is learnt to have argued that if it agrees to divert prime unfragmented forest area for coal,it will have to do the same for other mining activities as well,and that such a situation would lead to irreparable damage to forests and wildlife. As of now,such a classification exists only for coal blocks but is planned to be expanded to iron ore,as well,at a later stage.

Initially,186 of the 582 coal blocks that were covered by a study had been classified as No-Go,meaning that permission for mining in these areas would not be given. Following protests from the coal ministry which is no longer in favour of this classification the No-Go areas were brought down to 157 coal blocks. Another 24 coal blocks,which fell in the No-Go areas,were already being mined even before the classification had been done. The MoEF now says that if some more relaxation is granted,no more than 105 coal blocks would be classified as No-Go areas.

The MoEF is learnt to have strongly opposed the contention that all blocks allotted by the coal ministry should be given a mandatory forest clearance.

The MoEF has argued that such a scenario would be violative of the letter and spirit of the Forest Protection Act,1980. To ignore the findings of the study,based on objective parameters,may also invite judicial intervention,the ministry has warned. Coal minister Sriprakash Jaiswal has been arguing that by putting a large amount of coal blocks out of bounds for mining would jeopardise power production targets to meet fast-growing energy demands and,consequently,hurt economic growth.

But the MoEF has claimed that the coal that can be mined from the areas that have not been classified as No-Go would be sufficient to meet current demands.

It has also argued that the coal reserves in No-Go areas could be declared as strategic energy reserve,to be utilised in the last resort in a scenario where all other fossil fuel reserves have already been exhausted and alternate sources of energy are either not available or are inadequate to meet the bare minimum energy needs of the country.