Call on green nod to CIL's expansion plan in Odisha next week

A high-level panel will next week look into the issue of giving green clearance to production expansion of Coal India's mining project in Odisha from 10 million tonnes per annum to 14 MTPA.
A source privy to the development said Expert Appraisal Committee of the Environment Ministry on February 5 will take up for consideration Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd's, a Coal India arm, Kaniha Opencast Coal Mine Expansion Project from 10 MTPA to 14 MTPA.
The project is located in Angul district of Odisha.
Stressing upon the need for timely execution of projects, the government has earlier put some of the Coal India's mining projects on its monitoring list which includes Kaniha (OCP) in Odisha.

Coal India, which accounts for over 80 per cent of the domestic coal production is eyeing one billion bonnes of coal production by 2020.
Last month, the government had said a total of 16 mining projects of CIL have received green nod in the current fiscal.

Of the 12 projects granted environment clearance (EC), five belong to Western Coalfields Ltd (WCL), two are under Eastern Coalfields and two others belong to South Eastern Coalfields (SECL), the government had said.
The four projects given Stage-II forestry clearance (FC) include one each of Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd, SECL, Central Coalfields Ltd and WCL, the government had said.

The government had also earlier said that its focus is to increase coal production to the extent possible by facilitating EC and FC expeditiously, pursuing with the states for assistance in land acquisition and coordinated efforts with Railways for movement of dry fuel.