The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has directed state forest departments to undertake mandatory compensatory afforestation for private mining companies, extending a responsibility that was earlier limited to public sector enterprises. In Jharkhand, the forest department has so far carried out plantation work for companies such as Coal India and SAIL. Under the new directive, the arrangement will now include private mining firms as well.
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2.25 Lakh Saplings Approved in Jharkhand
Following the revised policy, approval has been granted for the plantation of 2.25 lakh saplings across Jharkhand over the next two years. Neeraj Choudhary, Advisor to the Social Forestry Division of the Union Ministry, said state forest departments possess the technical expertise to select and plant native species best suited to local ecological conditions. The ministry has also allowed private mining companies to undertake plantations independently, subject to supervision by the state’s forest and environment authorities.
Forest Certification Linked to Mining Expansion
The new guidelines make environmental compliance more stringent by requiring mining companies to obtain a plantation completion certificate from the forest department before their expansion proposals are considered. The move is intended to ensure that compensatory afforestation is implemented effectively and in accordance with prescribed environmental standards before fresh mining activities are approved.
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Additional Green Measures for Environmental Compliance
The revised framework also provides for broader environmental restoration measures in cases of violations of environmental norms. Besides compensatory plantation, companies may be required to undertake social forestry projects, including the installation of solar lighting systems, adoption of green energy solutions and provision of water purification facilities in rural areas. The measures are aimed at strengthening ecological conservation while encouraging sustainable development in mining regions.
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