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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | NGOs lash out at GoM on coal mining by Sujay Mehdudia

NGOs lash out at GoM on coal mining by Sujay Mehdudia

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published Published on Mar 17, 2011   modified Modified on Mar 17, 2011
A number of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), including Greenpeace, on Wednesday lashed out at the Pranab Mukherjee-headed Group of Ministers (GoM) on coal mining for working in an “undemocratic manner” and sought greater transparency and openness in its functioning.

“We are demanding that the process be opened up and made transparent. There has to be proper consultation with the stakeholders and issue experts,” Ashish Fernandes of Greenpeace India said in a statement here. “Nobody knows what is going on; what they are deciding. There has been absolutely no process of consultation either with communities. Even The Ministry of Tribal Affairs is not part of the GoM, which is completely undemocratic,” he said.

Issues overlooked

Mr. Fernandes complained that a mere 12-member panel was deciding the fate of forest area spanning over 6,000 sq km. “The GoM in secrecy is actually deciding on something that has a huge implication for the country. The committee has overlooked several issues,” he said.

Coming down heavily on the Coal Ministry, he said the tall claims of afforestation and plantations were not possible as afforestation could never replace a natural forest.

Wildlife Protection Society executive director Belinda Wright also expressed concern over the impact of mining on wildlife corridors, particularly on elephants and tigers. “The no-go issue has completely ignored the issue of impact on wildlife areas. I have seen first-hand what mining can do to wildlife corridors around the Tadoba and Panna Tiger Reserves. Many of the areas being deliberated on by the GoM are important wildlife habitats, but biodiversity considerations are being ignored,” she said.

‘Web of secrecy'

Ritwick Dutta, environmental lawyer, Lawyers Initiative for Forests and Environment, said: “There is a web of secrecy surrounding the mechanisations of the GoM. Its very mandate is suspicious to say the least and appears to be first step to weaken environmental safeguards of the country.”

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last month approved the formation of the GoM. This came in the backdrop of ever-widening demand-supply gap in coal which is likely to touch 142 million tonnes next fiscal and classification of 203 coal blocks by the Environment Ministry as no-go zones.

The Hindu, 17 March, 2011, http://www.hindu.com/2011/03/17/stories/2011031759531000.htm


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