Green panel rejects proposal for mining near Tadoba reserve

Citing threat to the big cats, a Central green panel has rejected proposals of two firms for coal mining in Lohara and Lohara east blocks near the Tadoba Andhari tiger reserve in Chandrapur district of Maharashtra.
    
The expert appraisal committee (thermal and coal mining) of the environment ministry, in its meeting on November 24, withdrew the Terms of Reference granted to Adani Power Ltd and Maharashtra Coal Company Ltd, thus scuttling their chance to get green clearance without which the projects cannot start.
    
The TORs were granted to the two firms last year.

However, the committee noted that the projects of Adani Power Ltd and Maharashtra Coal Company Ltd were located at a distance of 12 km and 10 km respectively from the reserve and within the proposed buffer zone of the sanctuary.
    
In fact, even the state forest department as well the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) had submitted a comprehensive report stating that if permission was granted then it will have an adverse impact on the forest as well as wildlife including endangered tigers.
    
Of the total area of 1750 hectares of Lohara Coal Block of Adani Power Ltd, 1573.56 hectares comprised forest land (89%) and almost the entire Lohara East Coal Block of
Maharashtra Coal Company consisted of an area of 865 hectares of forest land.
    
Objecting to the proposals, NTCA after a site visit had recommended that no mining operations should be undertaken in the proposed buffer zone.