SIVALARPATTI LIMESTONE MINE LEASE - I (EXTENT - 150.11.0 HA.) OF M/S. THE RAMCO CEMENTS LIMITED. (REVALIDATION OF EC)

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE PROJECT

This proposal is for obtaining ToR from MoEF&CC towards getting revalidation of environmental clearance under EIA notification 2006 which is required according to the notification No. 1530(E) of MoEF&CC dated 6th April 2018, for Sivalarpatti Limestone Mine Lease-I (Extent- 150.11.0 Ha) of M/s. The Ramco Cements Limited for the production of 0.69 Million TPA of Limestone (ROM) in the mine lease area of 150.11.0 Ha.

Sivalarpatti Limestone Mining Lease-I (Extent- 150.11 Ha) of M/s The Ramco Cements Limited over an area of 150.11.0 hectares is located in Pudur, Kullakattankurichi, Sivalarpatti and Muthusamypuram Villages, under Taluk, District, Tamilnadu, is in operation for more than two decades.

Mining Lease vide G.O Ms No: 334 Industries (MMD1) Dept dated 23.12.1994 over an extent of 150.10 ha for a period of 20 years with effect from 22.05.1995 to 21.05.2015. Subsequently, as per Section 8A (5) of MM(D&R) Amendment Act 2015, extension of mining lease for a period of 50 years granted by the State Government vide G.O.(Ms) No.34 Industries (MMA1) Dept dated 02.04.2018 which is valid up to 21.05.2045.

Mining of 0.69 MTPA of limestone (ROM) is carried out in this lease area after obtaining the following statutory clearances:

 Modification in the Approved Mining Plan obtained from IBM vide Lr No. TN/TKD/LST/MP-2018.MDS dated 19.12.2016

 AS per EIA 1994 Notification, obtained Environmental Clearance vide No. J-11015/6/99-IA II (M), dtd 22.11.1999 for the expansion of production capacity from 0.101 MTPA in the Melavenkateswarapuram limestone mine of 103.54 Ha to 0.406 MTPA for an additional area of 150.10 ha in the Sivalarpatti Limestone mine. (I.e. capacity for Melavenkateswarapuram limestone mine is 0.101 MTPA and for Sivalarpatti limestone mine is 0.304 MTPA).

 At the time of Expansion of Sivalarpatti Limestone Mine, Environmental Clearance has been obtained for Expansion of the quantity from 0.406 MTPA to 0.69 MTPA vide letter No. J-11015/192/2005-IA.II (M) dtd 02.02.2006.

 Further, as directed by TNPCB, amendment of EC obtained from MOEF for Mining of Limestone to be read as “0.304 MTPA to 0.69 MTPA” for Sivalarpatti limestone mine is received vide letter No. J-11015/192/2005-IA.II (M) dtd 09.01.2007

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 Consent to Operate obtained from TNPCB under Water and Air Act vide Consent Order 1808112338482 & 1808212338482 dated 15.05.2018 respectively valid upto 31.03.2020

According to the notification No. 1530(E) of MoEF&CC on 6th April 2018, mining projects, which were granted environmental clearance under the EIA Notification, 1994, and but not obtained environmental clearance for expansion / modernization / amendment under the EIA Notification, 2006 are required to obtain environmental clearance under the EIA Notification, 2006, in pursuance of the judgments of the Hon’ble Supreme Court.

Since EC for this project was obtained on 2nd February 2006, based on 1994 notification, it is now proposed to obtain Environmental clearance under the EIA notification 2006.

This project falls under Category A as per MoEF notification in this respect, because of mining lease being more than 100 Ha. Hence, Form – 1, proposed TOR and feasibility report have to be submitted to MoEF&CC for their approval and prescribing TOR and according EC after submission of EIA/EMP report to them.

The lease area of Sivalarpatti Limestone Mine Lease-I consists of 149.230 Ha. of private patta land owned by M/s The Ramco Cements Limited and 0.880 Ha. Government Poramboke land.

The area lies in Survey of Toposheet No.58 K / 3 between coordinates Latitude 9o 17’ 55” - 9o 20’ 4” N and Longitude 78o 08’ 21” - 78o 09’ 55”E

The Regional area is almost flat and plain terrain with a gentle slope towards south east. The project area is generally flat with an elevation ranging from 62 to 71 metres above MSL.

The lease area does not include any forest lands. No ecologically sensitive features like national parks, biospheres, sanctuaries, elephant corridors, Tiger reserves, flight paths of migrating fauna, etc occur in core areas of the project. The area does not come under CRZ category. There is no prominent river or stream running in this area. Uppu Odai – 7 km – East, Melakarandai Odai – 9.0km SW from mine lease boundary.

The area is approachable by a black top road leading from Pudur to Melarunachalapuram village via Melvenkateswarapuram. The area can also be reached by a road leading from Sivalarpatti village to Kambathupatti village. - Thoothukudi Highway (NH 45 B)- 5.7 Km West.No railway line nearby and the nearest railway Station is at

Creative Engineers & Consultants, Chennai – 600 059 ii SIVALARPATTI LIMESTONE MINE LEASE - I (EXTENT - 150.11.0 HA.) OF M/S. THE RAMCO CEMENTS LIMITED. (REVALIDATION OF EC)

Aruppukottai, 27 km ( By road). The nearest Airport is at Madurai (70 km)and the nearest Port is at Thoothukudi (86 km).

Sufficient exploration is already carried out by drilling 98 Core bore holes and 276 DTH Holes for a Meterage of 5351 and 5874 m respectively. Hence no further bore holes are proposed to be drilled. The total geological reserves from the mine is 10.813 Million tonnes and the entire proved mineral reserves of 7.719Million tonnes are estimated as mineable reserves. At the rate of production of 0.69 Million TPA of limestone (ROM) the life of mine will be 11.5 years.

The mining method is mechanized open cast mining with deep hole drilling and blasting and deployment of Heavy Earth Moving Machineries. The Bench height will be maintained at 9 m. The overall slope is 80o(Slope of Mine face). Limestone mined from this mine is and will be transported directly to the crusher located in the Pandalgudi premises where it will be blended with limestone from other mines. The entire limestone output from the project will be for captive consumption at cement plant of TRCL located in R.R Nagar.

There are 2 blocks, North Block & South Block. There are active and inactive dumps in the area. The ultimate pit limit will be -40m RL ( Southern Block) and 0m RL (Northern Block. Totally 24.4 Million Tonnes of waste will be generated, out of which about 16.09 Mil.T will be directly utilized for backfilling , 6.648 Mil.T be used for dumping and 1.662 Mil.T will be utilized for road formation and for bund formation along the lease periphery.

At the end of life of mine, Out of 66.32Ha of the quarry area, an extent of 10.90 Ha will be refilled, about 6.42 ha will be left as water reservoir and the remaining area of 49.0 Ha will be under bench plantation. Besides, 15.95 Ha of waste dump area and 23Ha of lease area will also be developed with greenbelt/plantation.

The total project capital cost is Rs. 328.15 Lakhs. Total water requirement for the project is 75 cum/day, comprising 65m3/day Dust suppression, Plantation & Greenbelt development and 10m3/day for Domestic use. The industrial water requirment is met from mine seepage water. NOC for groundwater clearance and dewatering groundwater during mining process, has been applied in this regard, and application is under process.TRCL has established a water treatment plant at their Pandalgudi Mine to treat the mine water for drinking purposes for both colony and other mines work sites including Sivalarpatti Limestone Mining Lease-I. The Power requirement would be 190 KW. This will be met from TNEB.

Creative Engineers & Consultants, Chennai – 600 059 iii SIVALARPATTI LIMESTONE MINE LEASE - I (EXTENT - 150.11.0 HA.) OF M/S. THE RAMCO CEMENTS LIMITED. (REVALIDATION OF EC)

All the services like site office, first aid station, rest shelter, drinking water, sanitation facilities are already available at the site. TRCL has established a water treatment plant at their Pandalgudi Mine to treat the mine water for drinking purposes for both colony and other mines work sites. Total numbers of existing manpower in the project are 196, consisting of 46 people on direct basis and 150 on indirect basis. TRCL is carrying out systematic and scientific mining operations after implementing various environmental control measures in this lease. The TRCL’s mining and cement plant operations in the region have already brought about substantial positive impact locally, especially in the socio economic front. Conclusively it can be stated that the mining operations in Sivalarpatti lime stone mine will further bestow positive and tangible benefits both at Micro and Macro levels in various spheres like local community development prospects, enhanced employment opportunities, assured cement output, improvement in GDP growth rates, in Industrial Production and in infrastructural sector growth. For the CSR activities, M/s. TRCL on the whole has spent Rs. 10.93 crores during the year 2017-18 under various social welfare measures like donation and repair to temples, school room construction as addition, up gradation of youth skills of local community, sponsorship for sports and cultural activities etc. R.R Nagar unit of TRCL has spent around Rs. 1.68 crores towards CSR for year 2017-18. For Sivalarpatti Limestone Mine Lease-I, M/s. TRCL has spent Rs 59.25Lakhs on various social welfare measures like educational aids, medical camps, road works, infrastructural activities, etc. between the years 2015-16 to 2017-18. Well planned social upliftment of the lowest rungs of the society, and achieving overall growth in all spheres of their life, such as medical, educational, training and communicational facilities, is very laudable corporate policy of the company and the same can definitely be expected for this lease area also in future years culminating in an excellent environmental management . Financially, the local community will continue to have benefits like increased income levels, better life styles etc. Besides, the local panchayats, State and Central Governments will also benefit due to receipt of GST, royalty, DMF, NMET etc., from the project proponent. Besides, various welfare schemes formulated and being implemented by M/s. The Ramco Cements Limited proves to be a tremendous boon to the local population on socio economic front. *******

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