Centre expands exemptions for mineral exploration drilling on forest land  

The FAC’s decision comes on the back of relaxations sought by the Ministry of Coal and the Ministry of Mines, as per minutes of the FAC’s meeting. The policy decision was based on a report of the Indian Institute of Forest Management (IIFM), Bhopal, which assessed the issue and its impact on forest area.

As per the existing guidelines under the forest conservation law, drilling of up to 25 bore holes per 10 sq km and 80 shot holes per sq km, along with felling of up to 100 trees in the said area was exempted from forest clearance.

“The Ministry of Mines and Ministry of Coal, keeping in view the fact that a large part of the exploration area falls under forest cover, had sought intervention from MoEF&CC for the proposal of enhancement of boreholes/shot holes in the forest areas,” the FAC minutes stated.

An inter-ministerial coordination and monitoring committee had decided last year that IIFM should conduct a study on the issue along with the Central Mine Planning and Design Institute Limited and the Geological Survey of India, under the aegis of the Ministry of Mines.

While granting the relaxation, the ministry directed to ensure that there should be minimal impact of the drilling and other associated activities on wildlife. It said that the survey and exploration activities, including drilling, shall be limited from 9 am to 5.30 pm to align with the diurnal pattern of wildlife. It added that the bore holes should be plugged with cement immediately after completion of all bore hole-related activities.

In its minutes, the FAC noted the IIFM report’s observations on the impact on wildlife. As per IIFM, since the bore hole drilling was a temporary activity lasting up to 20 days at each site, it will not have “long-term” impacts on the wildlife.

IIFM, though, added that the noise created by the drilling rig can disturb the wildlife and force them to change their movement paths. “Impacts can occur on the riparian ecosystems if water is blocked and abstracted from the forested stream, it can result into discharge of oil and grease into the natural water stream which can have negative impacts on aquatic wildlife species,” the minutes noted.

The FAC also stated that the standard operating procedure (SOP) for mineral exploration in forest areas is to be followed. The SoP stated that no drilling will be allowed within high-sensitivity areas to protect ecological hotspots. These included critical wildlife breeding and nesting areas, water sources, high-biodiversity forest patches, areas with endangered or endemic species, and culturally or religiously significant forest areas.

The SoP further stated that reconnaissance is necessary prior to drilling to identify critical habitats, in order to avoid them.

An award-winning journalist with 14 years of experience, Nikhil Ghanekar is an Assistant Editor with the National Bureau [Government] of The Indian Express in New Delhi. He primarily covers environmental policy matters which involve tracking key decisions and inner workings of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. He also covers the functioning of the National Green Tribunal and writes on the impact of environmental policies on wildlife conservation, forestry issues and climate change. Nikhil joined The Indian Express in 2024. Originally from Mumbai, he has worked in publications such as Tehelka, Hindustan Times, DNA Newspaper, News18 and Indiaspend. In the past 14 years, he has written on a range of subjects such as sports, current affairs, civic issues, city centric environment news, central government policies and politics. ... Read More

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