Go,no go gets a solution for now

After months of deadlock,a compromise solution seems to have been reached on the contentious issue of Go/No-Go classification of coal-mining areas.

The environment ministry has agreed to reassess applications of all coal mining projects that have obtained stage-I forest clearance before 2010 but refused final clearance regardless of whether they are located in ‘No-Go’ areas.

The first attempt would be to minimise damage to forests and,in case a compromise is reached between the project proponent and the Forest Advisory Committee (FAC),the project would be given the final clearance.

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If there is no possibility of reducing forest loss and FAC is still not satisfied,the project would be rejected. But all rejected projects would be forwarded to the Cabinet with reasons for rejection. The Cabinet will then take a final decision on whether these projects should be cleared in the larger national goal of achieving a 9 per cent growth rate.

However,all protected areas,which were out of bounds for coal mining even before the ‘Go/No-Go’ classification was mooted,would continue to remain inviolate and no permission would be granted to projects located in these areas,sources told The Indian Express.

This compromise formula was discussed thoroughly at a Group of Ministers dealing exclusively with the subject. The formula was suggested by environment minister Jairam Ramesh at the previous meeting of the GoM in April.

Accordingly,FAC will now reassess all stalled coal projects and put up the rejected ones for consideration at its next meeting on July 2. The GoM will then forward it to the Cabinet with its recommendations.

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Meeting in the backdrop of an intense tussle between Coal,Power and Steel ministries on one hand and the environment ministry on the other,the GoM today deliberated extensively on the fallout of the classification. The ministry is learnt to have concurred with the contentions of end-use ministries that unless the criteria of the ‘No-Go’ classification was re-visited,their respective utilities would be devoid of raw-material security and investments made there will stand jeopardised.

Coal minister Sriprakash Jaiswal said all forestry clearance proposals must be considered by FAC. He argued that forest conservation rules do not prohibit diversion of forest land for developmental purposes and coal mining does not destroy forest cover over mining zones at one go.