Bharat Coking Coal Ltd – a wholly owned subsidiary of Coal India Ltd (CIL) – today moved the Jharkhand High Court challenging an order by the State pollution control board to close down 22 coal mines.
The mines – opencast and underground – produce nearly 15 million tonnes of coal, mostly coking coal, annually.
The closure will impact the steel sector, particularly the Government-controlled Steel Authority of India Ltd.
The State environment panel in its order accused BCCL of running the mines without proper forest and environment clearances.
According to CIL sources, most of the mines were developed by private operators (before nationalisation in the mid 1970's) without much regard to environment and forest regulations in today's context.
To regularise the issue, CIL in consultation with the Ministry of Environment and Forests , had sought due environmental clearance for the cluster of 22 mines. “While the clearance is due, the State pollution control board had issued a closure order,” an official told Business Line .
In its appeal before the High Court, the company is expected to seek a ‘stay' on the pollution control board's order.