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Subject: Mining Hazards

  • Govt. backing ‘ecocide’ by going ahead with Tara coal block auction: Congress

    Why in the News

    The Tara (Revised) coal block in the Hasdeo Aranya region of Chhattisgarh has been auctioned and allocated. The block covers about 5,000 acres, of which over 4,000 acres is dense forest. The auction reverses a settled position on the region: the State Assembly had resolved against further coal allocation there, the State told the Supreme Court that no new mines were needed, and the Union Coal Ministry had denotified the block from the auction process. Local Gram Sabhas have opposed mining in the region for nearly 15 years. The principal Opposition party has described the auction as “ecocide”. The contest is between a commercial coal allocation and both the ecological value of a contiguous forest and the recorded consent position of the communities inside it.

    What does the Tara block auction involve on the ground?

    1. Area and forest share: The block covers about 5,000 acres, of which over 4,000 acres is dense forest in a biodiversity rich ecosystem.
    2. Scale of felling: Working the block would require the clear felling of more than 10 lakh trees.
    3. A renaming, not a redesign: The block was renamed Tara (Revised), which does not materially alter what is being mined or where.
    4. Who won it: The successful bidder is CG Syn Gas and Chemicals Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Mundra Synenergy Limited, itself wholly owned by Adani Enterprises Limited.

    Which earlier decisions does the auction reverse?

    1. A unanimous legislative resolution: The Chhattisgarh Assembly resolved unanimously in July 2022 that no further coal blocks should be allocated or auctioned in Hasdeo Aranya.
    2. The State’s position before the Supreme Court: The State government filed an affidavit in July 2023 stating that there was no need to allocate or develop any new mines in the region.
    3. The State’s request to the Centre: The State wrote to the Union Coal Ministry in June 2023 seeking the exclusion of nine coal blocks, including this one, from the auction.
    4. The Centre’s own earlier step: The Union Coal Ministry denotified 40 coal blocks, including this one, from the auction process in October 2023.

    What are the ecological stakes beyond the loss of trees?

    1. An elephant corridor runs through it: Mining around the Lemru Elephant Reserve would disrupt the movement corridor that elephant herds use through the region.
    2. Species at the sharper end: Other species in the same landscape, including critically endangered ones, would be placed at further risk.
    3. Replacement planting is contested: Compensatory afforestation replaces a diverted natural forest with a plantation raised elsewhere, and the objection is that no such planting can substitute for the loss of a contiguous mature forest of this size.

    How have the affected communities recorded their opposition?

    1. A fifteen year record of refusal: Adivasi and other local communities have opposed mining in Hasdeo Aranya for close to 15 years.
    2. The formal route used: Opposition has been recorded through Gram Sabha resolutions, the village assembly decisions that the forest diversion process is required to consider.
    3. Beyond the paperwork: The same communities have run public campaigns, sit ins and protest marches, including in Raipur.

    Challenges to auctioning coal blocks under dense forest

    1. The bid parameter does not price the forest: A commercial coal block is won on the revenue share offered to the State, so a block under dense forest competes on the same financial terms as one under farmland. Eg. Commercial auctions are decided on the percentage of revenue a bidder offers, with no ecological weighting in the bid.
      The Fix: Make a graded forest quality threshold a qualifying condition, so blocks above it never enter the auction list.
    2. Allocation happens before clearance is decided: A block is sold before forest and environmental clearance is settled, which converts a later refusal into the cancellation of an existing commercial commitment. Eg. The Parsa East and Kete Basan blocks in the same forest received clearance only after allocation and years of litigation.
      The Fix: Complete the forest diversion decision for a block before it is offered, so the auction follows the environmental appraisal rather than preceding it.
    3. Recorded consent is weakly verified: Consent is captured as a Gram Sabha resolution at the diversion stage, and a refusal has repeatedly been overridden or replaced by a fresh resolution. Eg. Gram Sabhas in Hasdeo Aranya alleged in 2022 that consent recorded for a neighbouring block had been forged.
      The Fix: Require independent verification of every consent resolution and publication of the minutes before diversion is recommended.
    4. Impact is appraised one block at a time: Each clearance assesses a single block, so the combined effect of several mines inside one contiguous forest is never evaluated as a whole. Eg. Hasdeo Aranya holds multiple allocated coal blocks within a single forest stretch and a shared river catchment.
      The Fix: Require a cumulative impact assessment for the entire coalfield before any further block inside it is auctioned.

    Conclusion

    The block has been allocated, and the operative decisions now move to the forest diversion and clearance stage, where the State and the Centre must each take a position again. The unresolved tension is that a legislature and a State executive have recorded one view of the region. The auction machinery has proceeded on another, with no mechanism that reconciles the two. What to watch is whether the recorded refusals are treated as binding inputs at the diversion stage, and whether the dispute returns to court before mining begins.

    Back2Basics: Elephant Reserves

    1. What the designation is: An elephant reserve is an area declared by a State government to protect elephant populations and the corridors between their habitats.
    2. The programme behind it: Reserves are declared under Project Elephant, launched by the Union environment ministry in 1992 to support elephant range States.
    3. Its legal weight: The designation is administrative, and it carries none of the statutory bar on land use that applies inside a national park or wildlife sanctuary.
    4. The species status: The Asian elephant is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List and in Schedule I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.

    Matching Previous Year Question

    “[2025, GS3, 15 marks] Mineral resources are fundamental to the country economy and these are exploited by mining. Why is mining considered an environmental hazard? Explain the remedial measures required to reduce the environmental hazard due to mining.”

  • SC refuses extension for Aravalli panel to submit final report

    Why in the News

    The Supreme Court has refused a six month extension sought by the high powered committee it appointed to define the Aravalli hills and range, and has directed the panel to submit its final report by 30 November. The committee was constituted to evolve a uniform definition of the ecologically fragile Aravalli hills and range and to recommend measures to regulate future mining. A three judge Bench headed by the Chief Justice of India observed that the panel appeared to be waiting for the Chief Justice’s retirement, which falls on 9 February 2027, and made clear that no further extension would be granted. The Bench also directed the panel to work continuously, to file interim reports on urgent issues, and to hear all stakeholders including tribal communities in Rajasthan and Gujarat. The tension is that a definition still unsettled after repeated extensions is the same definition that determines where mining may lawfully continue in the meantime.

    What is the high powered committee tasked with?

    1. Composition: It is a five member panel constituted by the Supreme Court and headed by the Director General of the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE), the Union government’s forestry research body.
    2. First task, the definition: It must evolve a single uniform definition of what counts as the Aravalli hills and the Aravalli range, applicable across the States the range runs through.
    3. Second task, mining regulation: It must recommend the measures by which future mining in the defined area is to be regulated.

    Why does a definition decide what can be mined?

    1. Protection follows the boundary: Restrictions on mining and construction attach to land identified as Aravalli, so the extent of the definition is the extent of the protection.
    2. State practice has diverged: The range runs across Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat, and in the absence of one national test each State has applied its own criteria to identify protected hills.
    3. The dispute is about elevation and landform: The competing tests turn on how much a landform must rise above the surrounding ground before it qualifies as an Aravalli hill, and a stricter threshold removes large stretches from protection.
    4. The interim period is the live cost: Mining approvals continue to be processed while the definition is pending, so delay is not neutral between the parties.

    What has the Court directed the panel to do?

    1. A hard deadline: The final report is due by 30 November, with the matter listed for hearing on 2 December, by which time the report is expected to have been filed.
    2. Interim reporting: The panel must submit interim reports on specific issues that require immediate consideration rather than holding everything back until the full exercise is complete.
    3. Stakeholder hearings: The panel must hear all stakeholders before finalising its recommendations, including tribal communities in Rajasthan and Gujarat whose land and livelihood the definition affects.
    4. No further extension: The Bench recorded that the six month request would not be entertained and that no further extension would follow.

    Challenges to regulating mining in the Aravallis

    1. Illegal mining outruns enforcement: Leases are policed by State mining departments with small field staff, so extraction continues outside sanctioned boundaries and at night. Eg. The Supreme Court has repeatedly had to intervene in Aravalli mining in Haryana, including through orders restraining mining in the range’s Haryana stretch.
      The Fix: Mandate satellite based volumetric monitoring of every lease, with quarterly comparison of extracted volume against the approved mining plan.
    2. Definitional ambiguity is exploited at the margin: Where a landform’s status is arguable, the developer’s classification prevails until challenged, which converts a mapping question into a licensing loophole. Eg. Construction has advanced on Aravalli land in Faridabad on the basis that the plots were not classified as forest.
      The Fix: Publish the finalised boundary as a single geo referenced map notified in the gazette, so classification is not decided plot by plot.
    3. Land use change destroys the hill even without mining: Real estate and quarry backfilling flatten the same ridges that mining regulation is meant to protect, and neither is governed by mining law. Eg. Farmhouse and residential development has expanded steadily on the Aravalli fringes around the National Capital Region.
      The Fix: Attach the mining definition to the State land use plans as well, so the same boundary governs building permissions.
    4. The ecological function is not priced into any clearance: The range checks the eastward spread of the Thar desert and recharges groundwater, services that no mining lease valuation accounts for. Eg. Groundwater levels in the districts flanking the range have fallen faster than the State averages.
      The Fix: Require a hydrological and dust dispersion impact assessment specific to the range before a lease is granted, not a generic mining environmental clearance.
    5. Restoration obligations are rarely enforced after closure: Reclamation of a mined pit is a lease condition that lapses once the operator exits, leaving abandoned pits and unstable slopes. Eg. Disused quarries across the range have filled with water and remain unrehabilitated.
      The Fix: Hold a restoration bond sized to the assessed reclamation cost, released only after independent certification that the site has been restored.

    Conclusion

    The Court has converted an open ended technical exercise into a dated one, which is the only lever available to it while the substantive question remains with the committee. The unresolved position is that protection of the range currently depends on a definition that does not yet exist, so every month of delay is a month in which the weakest interpretation operates by default. The concrete things to watch are the interim reports the panel now owes, and the hearing on 2 December at which the recommendations on regulating mining will first be tested.

    Back2Basics: The Aravalli Range

    1. What it is: One of the world’s oldest fold mountain ranges, formed in the Proterozoic era and heavily eroded, so it survives as broken ridges rather than a continuous chain.
    2. Extent: It runs roughly 690 km from Delhi in the northeast through Haryana and Rajasthan to Gujarat in the southwest.
    3. Highest point: Guru Shikhar on the Mount Abu massif in Rajasthan, at about 1,722 metres, is the highest peak of the range.
    4. Ecological role: It acts as a barrier to the eastward advance of the Thar desert and as a groundwater recharge zone for the plains on either side.

    Matching Previous Year Question

    “[2025, GS3, 15 marks] Mineral resources are fundamental to the country economy and these are exploited by mining. Why is mining considered an environmental hazard? Explain the remedial measures required to reduce the environmental hazard due to mining.”

  • India’s Rs 40,000 crore mine closure corpus opens a circular economy opportunity, but needs inter ministry coordination

    Why in the News

    India has accumulated a Rs 40,000 crore mine closure corpus, alongside the 2025 Mine Closure Guidelines, opening opportunities for circular economy activity and eco-tourism at exhausted mine sites. Realising this potential requires coordination across the Coal, Mines and Environment Ministries, a structure that does not currently exist.

    What does the Mine Closure Guidelines framework provide for?

    1. Corpus purpose: The Rs 40,000 crore corpus is built from contributions mining companies make toward the eventual environmental restoration of a mine site.
    2. Progressive closure: The 2025 guidelines push miners toward progressive closure, restoring parts of a mine as operations wind down rather than waiting until full exhaustion.
    3. Repurposing scope: Restored sites can potentially host circular economy activity, such as reprocessing mine waste, or be converted into eco-tourism destinations.

    Why does inter ministry coordination remain the binding constraint?

    1. Divided jurisdiction: Mine closure decisions touch the Ministry of Coal, the Ministry of Mines, and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, each with separate approval processes.
    2. No single owner: No single ministry currently holds end to end responsibility for converting a closed mine site into a productive circular economy or tourism asset.
    3. Execution gap: The problem is not the availability of funds in the corpus, but the absence of an institutional mechanism to direct that money toward a repurposing plan across ministries.

    Conclusion

    The mine closure corpus and the 2025 guidelines create the financial and regulatory basis for circular economy and eco-tourism use of closed mine sites. Whether that potential is realised depends on whether the Coal, Mines and Environment Ministries build a coordinated execution mechanism, not on the size of the corpus itself.

    1. What are the consequences of illegal mining? Discuss the ministry of environment and forests’ concept of “GO AND NO GO” zones for coal mining.

    2. Coastal sand mining, whether legal or illegal, poses one of the biggest threats to our environment. Analyse the impact of sand mining along the Indian coasts, citing specific examples.

      Sand mining refers to the extraction of sand from beaches, river mouths, dunes and seabeds for construction and land reclamation.

      Impact of sand mining

      Environmental Impacts

      Accelerated Coastal Erosion – Removal of sand weakens natural barriers, causing shoreline retreat. Eg – Alappuzha (Kerala).

      Habitat Destruction – Disturbs nesting sites and coastal biodiversity. Eg – Degradation of Olive Ridley turtle nesting beaches in Odisha.

      Saline Intrusion & Groundwater Contamination – Eg – Tuticorin (Tamil Nadu) recorded rising salinity in wells.

      Loss of Mangroves – Destabilised soil and altered hydrology harm protective ecosystems. Eg – Vegetation thinning in parts of the Sunderbans.

      Economic Impacts

      Damage to Infrastructure – Roads, bridges and coastal installations become unstable due to subsidence. Eg – Road collapse incidents in Uttar Kannada (Karnataka).

      Decline in Tourism Revenue – Eroded and degraded beaches reduce tourist inflow.

      Livelihood Loss for Fishing Communities – Altered seabed and turbidity reduce fish catch and destroy spawning grounds.

      Social Impacts

      Disaster induced displacement of coastal communities due to increased vulnerability

      Health Risks from Contaminated Water – Saline intrusion affects drinking water quality.

      Increased and sedimentation in rivers and coastal areas due to depletion of sand from river beds

      Political & Governance Impacts

      Rise of Illegal Sand Mining Networks – Criminalisation of mining fuels corruption. Eg – Sand mafias in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh.

      Threats to Officials – Violent attacks on officers during enforcement drives.

      Way Forward

      Strengthen Regulatory Enforcement

      Tighten monitoring of CRZ norms

      GPS-tracked transport permits

      Eg – Kerala’s drone-based monitoring model.

      Promote Sustainable Alternatives – Eg- M-sand

      Community-Based Coastal Stewardship– Eg – Odisha’s community patrolling linked to turtle conservation.

      Ecological Restoration of Mined Coasts– Eg – Puducherry’s beach nourishment project.

      Improve Inter-State Coordination – joint task forces to curb cross-border sand smuggling.

      Integrate Sediment Budgeting in Coastal Planning to ensure river-to-coast sediment flow is maintained.

      Ensuring sustainable extraction is essential to balance developmental needs with long-term coastal resilience

    3. Explain the causes and effects of coastal erosion in India. What are the available coastal management techniques for combating the hazard?

      Coastal Erosion refers to breaking down and carrying away of materials by sea. As per National Centre for Coastal Research, about 33.6% of Indian coast is eroding.

      Causes

      Natural Causes

      Cyclones and Storm Surges erode dunes and beaches. Eg- Bay of Bengal cyclone belts.

      Climate-induced Sea-Level Rise submerges low-lying coasts. Eg- Sundarbans delta witnessing shoreline retreat.

      Strong tidal flow and seasonal currents disturb sediment balance. Eg- West coast monsoonal erosion.

      Loss of Natural Buffers – depletion of coral reefs, dunes or seagrass beds reduces wave dissipation. Eg- Reef loss around Lakshadweep.

      Anthropogenic Causes

      Construction of Ports, Breakwaters and Jetties interrupt sediment transport, causing erosion downdrift. Eg- Ennore and Puducherry coastlines.

      River Damming – Dams reduce sediment supply reaching deltas and beaches. Eg- Shrinkage of Godavari and Narmada deltas.

      Sand Mining removes beach sediment. Eg- Severe erosion hotspots in Kerala.

      Coastal Land Reclamation increases erosion by altering the shoreline. Eg- Reclaimed coasts around Mumbai.

      Destruction of Mangroves eliminates natural wave barriers.

      Pollution and Ecosystem Degradation reduce shoreline stability. Eg- Coral mortality in Gulf of Mannar.

      Effect

      Effects on Environment

      Loss of Coastal Habitats – Eg- Mangrove loss in the Sundarbans.

      Saltwater Intrusion – degrade freshwater ecosystems. Eg- Salinisation of Andhra Pradesh coastal farmlands.

      Loss of natural buffers heightens storm-surge and monsoon flooding risk. Eg- Erosion-induced flooding in Kerala’s low-lying coast.

      Effects on Economy

      Damage to Infrastructure – Roads, bridges and coastal installations become unstable due to subsidence. Eg – Road collapse incidents in Uttar Kannada (Karnataka).

      Loss of Productive Land – Eg- Farmland abandonment in Tamil Nadu erosion belts.

      Threat to critical infrastructure – Eg- offshore oil plants and windmills

      Effects on Society

      Displacement of Coastal Communities due to Shrinking shorelines

      Loss of Livelihoods – Fishing communities lose landing points and fish stocks.

      Saline intrusion reduces drinking water availability and increases contamination risks.

      Loss of Cultural Heritage – Eg- Threats to traditional coastal temples in Tamil Nadu.

      Available coastal Management Techniques

      Hard Engineering Measures

      Seawalls to block wave attack.

      Groynes – Trap sand and widen beaches. Eg- Puducherry groyne field.

      Breakwaters – Offshore barriers that reduce wave energy. Eg- Chennai port.

      Revetments – Sloped rock armour to absorb wave impact.

      Soft Engineering Measures

      Ecological Restoration of Mined Coasts– Eg – Puducherry’s beach nourishment project.

      Dune Stabilisation – Planting grasses and fencing dunes.

      Mangrove Restoration – Eg- MISHTI-based efforts in Sundarbans.

      Coral and Seagrass Restoration – Eg- Andaman reef rehabilitation.

      Beach cleanliness drives – Eg- Blue Flag Certification

      Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM)

      Sediment Budgeting in Coastal Planning to ensure river-to-coast sediment flow is maintained.

      Ecosystem-Based Coastal Planning – Combines geomorphology, ecology and socio-economic factors. Eg- ICZM projects in Gujarat, Odisha, West Bengal.

      Regulatory Tools (CRZ Norms) – no-development zones and hazard mapping reduce vulnerability.

      Coastal Management Information System (CMIS) to collect nearshore coastal data for planning, designing, and maintaining coastal protection structures

      Early Warning Systems – INCOIS alerts for timely action.

      Coastal erosion in India requires integrated, science-based and community-driven management

    4. Mineral resources are fundamental to the country economy and these are exploited by mining. Why is mining considered an environmental hazard? Explain the remedial measures required to reduce the environmental hazard due to mining.

      Mineral resources form the backbone of India’s industrial and economic growth, driving sectors such as energy, infrastructure, manufacturing, and defence. As Jawaharlal Nehru called them, minerals are the “basic raw materials of modern civilization.”

      Importance of Mineral Resources for the Economy

      Energy Security

      Uranium and thorium reserves critical for India’s nuclear power program.

      Industrial Development

      Iron ore and bauxite support steel and aluminium industries, pillars of infrastructure.

      Limestone feeds cement industry, vital for housing and construction.

      Manufacturing & Strategic Sectors

      Rare Earth Elements (REEs), lithium, cobalt are essential for electronics, EV batteries, semiconductors, defence equipment.

      India’s defence self-reliance depends on availability of titanium, tungsten, chromium.

      Employment & Regional Development – Mining sector provides 2.3 million direct jobs in backward regions like Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Jharkhand.

      Revenue & Fiscal Federalism – Royalty from minerals forms a major part of state revenues.

      Strategic & Geopolitical Value – Critical minerals like lithium and cobalt are central to energy transition and Atmanirbhar Bharat.

      Mining as an Environmental Hazard

      Deforestation – Open-cast mining requires clearing of vast forests. Eg- Coal mining in Hasdeo (Chhattisgarh) leading to elephant habitat fragmentation

      Soil Erosion and Land Degradation – Removal of topsoil and overburden dumping degrade agricultural lands.

      Water Pollution – Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) contaminates rivers and groundwater with heavy metals. Eg- Sukinda Chromite Mines (Odisha).

      Air Pollution – Dust, particulate matter, and gases from blasting and transport cause respiratory diseases. Coal mining regions like Singrauli have high PM2.5 levels

      Noise and Vibrations – Blasting operations disturb wildlife and damage human settlements.

      Climate Change Contribution – Coal mining emits methane, a greenhouse gas with high warming potential.

      Loss of Ecosystem Services – Mining destroys wetlands, grazing lands, and forest resources, affecting agriculture, fisheries, and traditional livelihoods.

      Improper disposal of mine tailings releases radioactive and toxic materials, leading to long-term soil and water contamination (Eg- Uranium mining in Jaduguda, Jharkhand).

      Mining-induced displacement of tribal populations. Eg- Niyamgiri Hills bauxite project (Vedanta vs Dongria Kondh tribe).

      Remedial Measures Required

      Legislative & Regulatory – Enforce EPA 1986, MMDR Act 2015, and mandatory EIA with periodic audits.

      Sustainable Practices – Adopt eco-friendly mining technologies like GIS monitoring, remote sensing, and controlled blasting.

      Reclamation & Rehabilitation – Ensure progressive mine closure, land reclamation, backfilling, and afforestation of mined areas.

      Pollution Control – Introduce dust suppression, acid mine drainage treatment, and soil stabilization measures.

      Community-Centric Measures – Utilize District Mineral Foundation (DMF) funds for health, education, and livelihoods of affected people.

      Institutional Monitoring – Strengthen Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM) oversight and use drones/AI for real-time compliance

      Global Best Practices – Replicate Australia’s mine rehabilitation bonds and Canada’s TSM framework for accountability.

      “We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.” Thus, development must be in harmony with the environment.