In line with its goal to restore 26 million hectares of degraded land by 2030, the Government has launched an initiative to rejuvenate and create at least 500 water bodies in coal and lignite mining regions over the next five years till 2029 that also aims to ensure ecological balance.
Deforestation, mining and industrial activities are some of the leading causes of desertification across the world. India’s total degraded land is equivalent to the size of 43 million football pitches, according to UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).
Centering around the fact that water bodies created within the reclaimed dump in the mining areas, not only help in rain water harvesting but also enhance flora and fauna in the region, the Ministry of Coal, in collaboration with Coal / Lignite Central Public Sector Undertakings (CPSUs), district administrations, and gram panchayats, recently launched the project “Rejuvenation of Traditional Water Bodies in Coal / Lignite Mining Regions.”
Union Minister of Coal and Mines, G Kishan Reddy after releasing comprehensive guidelines for the programme said that effectively utilizing mine water addresses the ecological impacts of mining by transforming a potential challenge into an opportunity for positive change.
“This innovative approach includes various strategies, such as empowering self-help groups (SHGs) to operate floating restaurants on water-filled mine-pits.
These floating restaurants provide new economic opportunities for local communities while enhancing local tourism,” he added.
This ambitious project also aims to offer new opportunities for local communities and wildlife as CPSUs will manage water bodies within leasehold areas, while District Collectors will handle the water bodies outside the leasehold area. Each new water body will have a pondage area of at least 0.4 hectares and a capacity of around 10,000 cubic meters.
The UN General Assembly has declared 2021-2030 as the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, pledging to restore 1 billion hectares of land, an area larger than China, by 2030 to combat the ecosystem degradation crisis. India being a signatory to the UNCCD, has developed the National Action Plan to Combat Desertification, 2023 with the aim to restore 26 million hectares of degraded land and create an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent by 2030 through increased forest and tree cover.
Many big mining companies like Tata Steel are already taking such initiatives that include afforestation through Miyawaki plantations, greenbelt development, plantation through seedballs in hard-to-reach areas, mine reclamation through plantation activities and water body creation with the help of the communities and local stakeholders.
Amrit Lal Meena, Coal Secretary added that the project “Rejuvenation of Traditional Water Bodies in Coal/Lignite Mining Regions,” will now serve as a CSR initiative by Coal/Lignite CPSUs, including Coal India Limited (CIL) and NLC India Limited (NLCIL).
Also, “in fiscal 2023-2024, approximately 4,892 LKL of treated mine water was offered to 981 villages in coal/lignite-bearing states. Over the past five years, 18,513 LKL of mine water has been made available for community use, including irrigation and drinking purposes, said Minister of State for Coal and Mines, Satish Chandra Dubey.