NEW DELHI | May 22, 2016: A high-level panel of the environment ministry has recommended granting clearance to diversion of forest land for state-owned Singareni Collieries Company Ltd's coal mining project in Andhra Pradesh.

The recommendation for clearance comes at a time when the country is eyeing 1.5 billion tonnes of coal output by 2020.

After deliberations and on receipt of request of the state government for issue of revised stage-I clearance, FAC recommended grant of "consolidated stage I approval for diversion of a total forest land... subject to general conditions, standard conditions applicable to such mining projects in supersession of the earlier stage-I clearance issued for 565.66 ha," a source said.

The proposal was for diversion of 776.20 hectares of forest land in Lankapalli reserve forest of Khammam division in favour of SCCL for its JVR OC (Opencast) coal mining project

The Forest Advisory Committee also recommended that "any of the special conditions imposed by (FAC) while recommending 565.64 ha and 210.54 ha separately would continue to hold good, including the area of diversion of 210.54 ha would only be used for OB dump and reclamation and handing over the 210.54 ha for OB Dump will be done within 10 years as per the undertaking submitted by the user agency," the source said.

SCCL, a coal mining company jointly owned by Telangana government and the Centre, had earlier said it was planning to open 10 new projects beginning fiscal 2016-17.

The new mines proposed to be opened by SCCL are located in Bellampally, Koyagudem and Manuguru areas among others. The new mines together are expected to produce 130 lakh tonnes per annum, the company had earlier said.

(Source: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/)