The Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) has faulted Singareni Collieries Company Ltd (SCCL) for producing higher quantity of coal than the approved capacity in eight of its existing mines without seeking the necessary environmental clearance.
A committee of experts of the Ministry that examined the proposals of the coal company to go for expansion of these open cast and underground mines has pointed out that together the coal production in excess of the approved quantity was over 26.2 million tonnes over the years — since they were given approval for the first time.
The violation of existing environmental clearances was identified in Medipalli open cast and Vakapalli underground mines in Peddapalli district, Jawahar Khani-5 open cast and Gautam Khani open cast mines in Bhadradri Kothagudem, Ravindra Khani-5 incline underground, Ravindra Khani-6 incline underground and Srirampur-3 & 3A and Srirampur incline underground mines in Mancherial and Kalyan Khani-5 incline underground mine in Adilabad district. The SCCL has applied for expansion of all these mines.
