The plan panel in its draft cabinet note, which will be considered by a Group of Ministers (GoM) on environmental issues later this month, says the shortfall in coal production because of environment ministry's 'go no-go' policy can be met by private developers, if the environment clearance is fast tracked.
The environment ministry has categorised 35% of forestland based on density of trees as no go for coal mining, which would have resulted in shortfall of about 40 million tonnes per year by the end of 11th plan in 2011-12.
"The areas, which have dense forests, should normally be excluded from mining and fully protected. If they fall within a coal block, these should be separately identified, so marked and protected. The mining should be continued only in rest of the area of the block," the panel said in the note.
The panel, however, advocated underground mining in dense forest areas, to which Ramesh has agreed. Read the full report here.
Source: Chetan Chauhan, Hindustan Times, New Delhi.
