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The Jharkhand High Court on Thursday stayed the closure notice issued by the Jharkhand pollution control board to 22 coal mines under Bharat Coking Coal Ltd (BCCL). According to company sources, the stay order was issued based on a petition filed by BCCL – a wholly owned subsidiary of CIL – challenging the state panel’s decision.
The mines – including both opencast and underground – produce nearly 15 million tonne coal, mostly coking coal, annually. The closure, if implemented, should impact the steel sector, particularly the Union government controlled Steel Authority of India Ltd.
In an order issued earlier this month the pollution control board accused BCCL for running the mines without proper forest and environment clearance.
CIL sources, however, said that the mines were developed by private operators (before nationalisation in mid 1970’s) without much regard to environment and forest regulations in today’s context.
To regularise the issue, the coal major, in consultation with the Union ministry of environment and forests (MoEF), had sought requisite environmental clearance for the entire cluster of 22 mines. “While the clearance is due, the state pollution control board had issued a closure order,” an official told Business Line.
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