THE Union Ministry of Coal has decided to withdraw the Bander coal bock located in the close vicinity of Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) from the list of coal blocks up for auction. The ministry put out a list of 41 coal blocks for auction on June 18.
“We are withdrawing the Bander coal block from the list of coal blocks to be auctioned after closer scrutiny of the various aspects involved in the matter,” Union Minister for Coal, Mines and Parliamentary Affairs Pralhad Joshi told The Indian Express.
The listing of the coal block was followed by protests from several wildlife activists as the 1,644-hectare block is believed to be in the eco-sensitive zone of TATR and any mining activity is likely to be detrimental to tiger conservation.
