Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd (MCL), a subsidiary of Coal India Ltd, expects to restart operations at six mines in the Orient area of Ib Valley in Odisha within a week.
MCL has approached the Supreme Court seeking a stay order against closure of the mines by the Odisha Government.
The order issued to the deputy director of mines accused MCL of operating the mines without necessary environment clearances.
The closure, however, will not have much impact on the company’s production outlook as the total output of the Orient area is well below 2 million tonne (mt) a year.
Of the six mines, Lajkura is a small open-cast asset and, the rest are underground mines, operating for nearly a century.
According to a release issued by the MCL, the company’s application for environment clearance is pending with the director of mines for clearance due to non-clearance of stage-1 forest clearance.
MCL, the release stated, has already paid the net present value of all the forest areas within the mining lease.