Even as coal demand is projected to hover around 1.3-1.5 billion tonnes by 2030, the government is increasing green cover around coal mines in a bid to check carbon emissions. Coal-producing PSUs have already brought 56,000 hectares of land under green cover and an additional 30,000 hectares is expected to be added by 2030, the Economic Survey 2021-22 said.
“By 2020-21, the PSUs had brought 56,000 hectare land under green cover creating a carbon sink of about 5 lakh tonnes of CO2 equivalent/ year. It is envisaged to bring about 30,000 hectare of additional land (in and around coal mining areas) under green cover by plantation of around 75 million trees by 2030,” the survey report, tabled in Parliament on Monday, said.
Meeting global commitments
Coal is the most important and abundant fossil fuel in India and accounts for 55 per cent of the country’s energy needs. Overall production of raw coal in India during 2020-21 was 716.08 million tonnes (provisional) as compared to 730.87 million tonnes in 2019-20.
The plan augurs well with India’s COP 26 commitments. India submitted its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement on a “best effort basis” keeping its developmental imperatives in mind.
The country has committed to reduce the emission intensity of GDP by 33 to 35 per cent by 2030 as compared to 2005 level. Besides, it aims to create an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent through additional forest and tree cover by 2030, as well as to achieve about 40 per cent cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel energy resources by 2030.
Carbon stock increases
According to the India State of Forest Report 2021, the total carbon stock in the country’s forests is estimated to be 7,204 million tonnes, and the carbon stock in forest has increased by 79.4 million tonnes as compared to the last assessment of 2019. According to the Central Electricity Authority, as of December 2021, the share of non-fossil sources in installed capacity of electricity generation was 40.20 per cent.
Besides, the government embarked upon its most ambitious coal sector reform by opening up mining for the private sector, which will bring efficiency and competition in coal production, attract investments and best-in-class technology, and help create more jobs in the coal sector.
So far, 28 coal mines have been successfully auctioned. Out of these, 27 coal mines have been auctioned to private companies. Auction process for 88 coal mines is underway.