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Re-grassing is mandatory after mining, rules SC
Why in news?
- The Supreme Court ordered that mining lease holders should be held responsible for re-grassing mined areas so that biodiversity gets a second chance in these scarred landscapes.
More in news
- Directions by the Supreme court:
(1) Re-Grassing: A Bench led by CJI ordered the government to include re-grassing of mined areas as a mandatory condition in every mining lease, environmental clearance and mining plan across the country.
(2) Environmental issues caused by mining include: erosion, formation of sinkholes, loss of biodiversity, and contamination of soil, groundwater and surface water by chemicals from mining processes, and the effects persist for years.
(3) Impose conditions:
(a) There seems to be no reason why the area which has been mined should not be restored so that grass and other vegetation, including trees, can grow in the mining area for the benefits of animals.
(b) This can be achieved by directing the Union of India to impose a condition in the mining lease and a similar condition in the environmental clearance and the mining plan to the effect that the mining lease holders shall, after ceasing mining operations, undertake re-grassing the mining area and any other area which may have been disturbed due to their mining activities and restore the land to a condition which is fit for growth of fodder, flora, fauna, etc.” SC directed.
(4) Ensure compliance:
(a) The government was ordered to file an action taken report in three weeks.
(b) The Bench directed the government to devise methods to ensure compliance by mining lease holders.
(c) The cost of re-grassing the mined area and wherever damaged would be entirely borne by the licence holder.
(5) Mandatory re-grassing would be in addition to the other conditions to restore biodiversity imposed on the licence holder in the mine closure plan.
(6) Fodder to Herbivores: An area which is mined results in complete elimination of grass which in turn denies fodder to herbivores. The only solution can be re-grassing of such mined areas. It is not in dispute that re-grassing technology is available in this country- observed the CJI.
Sources
The Hindu