Singareni coal mines open wounds
June 29th, 2009
By Our Correspondent
WARANGAL
June 28: Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) has decided to tear up the ground in a process called open cast mining, to meet the voracious demand for coal. The decision could render 20,000 people homeless and affect 200 villages.
The mines will also affect an estimated 3,000 hectares of forests. The company prefers open cast mining (OCM) mainly because it is cheaper than mining for coal under the ground. The company plans to open 15 open mines in its operational area comprising Khammam, Warangal, Adilabad and Karimnagar districts.
“If the mining underground produces 1,500 tonnes of coal a day, open cast mines produce 10,000 tonnes per day and obviously at a much lesser cost,” said Mr G. Sridhar Reddy, senior SCCL official. Unless it shifts to OCM at the earliest, it will not be able to meet the coal requirements of the power sector which takes 75 per cent of the coal produced by the company.
While that is so, the open cast mining will displace thousands of families, destroy scores of habitations and cause loss of livelihood to locals. Officials have already witnessed the anger of potential oustees of Sathupally in Khammam district, Indaram in Adilabad and Khasimpet in Warangal. At Akkepally in Karimnagar district, people have vehemently opposed the open cast mines at public hearings.
“Open cast mining is nothing but cultural invasion by those in authority. The mining activity would make the locals refugees in their own homeland,” says Mr Tejavath Bellaiah Naik, member of the Dharti Bhachao Committee. The coal company says it is carrying controlled blasting to reduce pollution. The company says it is in the process of acquiring the smallest extent of land by paying compensation.
“It is in the national interest to increase coal production to meet the growing requirements of the power sector and help the country progress,” said Mr Sridhar Reddy.What about the destruction of the environment? He said steps have been taken to keep damage to the environment at a minimum by using the latest equipment.
Though coal production is projected to increase by 50 million metric tonnes in 2009-2010, there exists a demand and supply gap of 10 to 15 million metric tonnes. The SCCL has also limited its open cast reserves which may exhaust in the next 10 to 15 years.
The company will pay compensatory afforestation charges and develop forests on an equal amount of land where it has lopped off the jungles. It will pay Rs 4.38 lakh to Rs 10.43 lakh per hectare, Mr Sridhar Reddy said.