New Singareni coal mines await green nod

​Khammam: At least 25 new coal mining proposals are pending with Singareni Collieries awaiting environmental clearance and land acquisition. Once the clearances are issued, the coal production would get real boost and thousands of youth would get employment opportunities.

Singareni Collieries management had prepared blueprints for starting 25 new coal mines in the Godavari basin after its research wing had found 10,000 million of tonnes of coal reserves. However, while some of them are waiting for environmental clearance, some are stalled due to the land acquisition problem.

Environmental clearance and land acquisition are awaited for Sattupalli OCP-2, Koyagudem OCP-2 and Manuguru OCP-4. Though acquiring land for the coal mining by the State Government was an easy task, it has become very difficult to get environmental and forest clearances.

As a result, the expansion of seven opencast mines has been postponed indefinitely. In addition, land acquisition problem affected the Koyagudem OCP-2, the Manuguru OCP-4, Sattupalli OCP-2 and Srirampur OCP-2 and Kishtaram OCP, Kakatiya OCP and Sattupalli JVR OCP.

Once production commences in these mines, 20 million tonnes of coal would be produced every year. The Central government of late has established strict rules for giving clearance. It will be all the more difficult to get clearance if the proposed mining area falls under the protected sanctuaries.

Even the drilling machines are not allowed to be used in the protected areas. However, the Telangana state government should bring pressure on the Centre to get clearances for the new coal mines. It is expected that clearances for the proposed coal mines at Rampur, Punukulachilaka, Gundala, Penagadapa, Cherla and Chandrupalli areas. Singareni Collieries are already facing shortage of coal production to meet the growing demands. The clearances would not only increase coal production but also provide employment opportunities.