The National Wildlife Board (NBWL) has recommended that part of the 98.59 ha (hectares) forest reserve that is part of the Dehing Patkai Elephant Reserve be used for open-cast coal mining by North-Eastern Coal Field of Coal India Limited in accordance with the minutes of the 57th meeting of the Standing Committee of the National Wildlife Board held on April 17 through video conferences. The rest of the area, the body said, could be considered for underground coal mining.
The proposal to locate the coal mine inside the reserve was considered at the Board's 54th meeting on July 18 last year when it was decided that the site would be visited by a committee comprising a noted elephant expert and NBWL member, Professor R Sukumar, a representative of the wildlife division and Assam's state chief wildlife warden, and submit a report to the ministry. A conference with Coal India Limited officials was also to be held by the environment ministry.
R Sukumar submitted to NBWL that Coal India Limited had already used 57,02 ha of forest land for mining and that a cautious approach had to be adopted in the balance of 41,39 ha of unbroken territory, due to the rich biodiversity according to the minutes. Climate Minister Prakash Javadekar has chaired the NBWL conference.
The so-called unbroken area is on a steep hill slope which is part of the adjacent forests of the Dehing Patkai Elephant Reserve in Arunachal Pradesh which includes the Deomali Elephant Reserve with a large elephant population. They say the proposal for an already "broken area is recommended for approval" subject to a rectified site-specific mine reclamation plan being submitted in consultation with the Assam Forest Department and that the matter will be considered for the unbroken area after Coal India Limited submits a feasibility report for underground mining.
“Coal India had broken up 57.2 ha years ago and mined it without any permission, in violation of laws. They have been directed to (pay) penalty for this and submit a mine reclamation plan. The plan they have submitted includes trees from central India which is not even the native biodiversity of Assam. So they have been asked to come back again with a proper plan,” said Sukumar, ecologist at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc). “The rest of the area bordering Arunachal Pradesh, it cannot be broken up. The standing committee has told them (CIL) that forests there cannot be opened up,” he added over the phone from Bangalore.
A CIL spokesperson said he was not aware of the NBWL decision and needs time to get details on it.
“Elephant herds have strong fidelity to their range. They move around the same area for many years. Obviously such projects will affect their movement and demographics. I am not very aware of the landscape in this reserve but conflict is bound to increase if there are human dominated areas in the neighbourhood,” said M Ananda Kumar, elephant biologist.
