NMDC Ltd will take up plantation work at Kirandul Iron Ore Mine for Phase-I of Afforestation work for the year 2019-20 in Chhattisgarh, officials informed.
A total of 17000 Saplings would be planted as part of the drive.
During the last two financial years, NMDC Ltd has contributed Rs 50 crores to the ‘Hariyar Chhattisgarh Programme’ towards tree plantation initiative, officials informed.
Water and soil conservation works have been taken up in association with Chhattisgarh State Forest Department in Reserve Forest area to improve the soil quality and water table in the regions.
NMDC is further working towards zero waste mining by maximising utilisation of various grades of iron ore, they informed.
To gainfully utilise slimes (low grade rejects), beneficiation and pellet plants have been set up in Karnataka at the mine itself. A larger scale similar plant is being set up in Bailadila sector along with 15 MTPA slurry pipeline, a green and cost effective way of iron ore transportation, officials informed.
NMDC is also in the process for developing a green belt on Safety zone at Kirandul Iron Ore Mine in Bastar region by planting 10000 Saplings for the year 2018-19, officials informed.
It is undertaking all environmental pollution control works such as de-silting of check dams/check bunds, tailing dams, construction of buttress walls at toe of waste dumps and geo-coir matting on waste rock dumps for stabilization of dumps., they informed.
The company had been organizing monitoring studies covering all environmental parameters by recognized laboratories. The studies indicated that all environmental parameters are found to be well within the limits, officials stated.
The company has been taking up afforestation on a planned pattern in consultation with Divisional Forest Officer (Social forestry) of concerned areas with the objectives such as increasing the density around the project and township, stabilisation of degraded lands and waste dumps for preventing soil erosion, rehabilitated of mined out areas, improving the condition of the catchment areas and stream courses and aesthetic look of the township areas at the Bailadila mining complex and its other complexes across the country, they stated.
NMDC has also adopted strategies for climate change mitigation such as identifying and evaluating climate change risks for each business, reduce the environmental impact of processes, products and services and is working towards creating a positive environmental footprint, adoption of a low-carbon growth path through reduction in specific energy consumption and enhancing use of renewable energy sources and reducing specific ater consumption on sites.