Application for EC Jamunia UG (Phase – II) 1.0. Preamble The project report for Jamunia UG Coal Mine Project, Tehsil Amarwara, district Chhindwara, Madya Pradesh was prepared in November 2008 for a target capacity of 0.72 MTPA with a capital investment of 127.5223 Crores which was approved by WCL Board vide letter no. WCL/BD/SECTT/BM-216/2009/2219 dated 16.02.2009 and subsequent approval of WCL Board for 0.828 MTPA peak capacity vide letter no. WCL/BD/SECTT/BM-219/2009/2425 dated 21.08.2009. Based on the aforesaid approved Project Report and consequent to our Form-1 application, TOR was granted vide MoEF letter no. J-11015/67/2009-IA.II (M) dated 15.04.2009 for 0.72 MTPA with a peak production of 0.828 MTPA over an ML area of 407 ha. The project was having a forest land of 74.7 ha. Subsequently EC was granted for Jamunia UG Mine Phase-I project for normative capacity of 0.72 MTPA and peak capacity of 0.828 MTPA in a ML area of 332.30 ha (407-74.70) without any forest land (Phase-I) vide MoEF’s letter no. J-11015/67/2009-IA.II(M) dated 31.12.2012 based on the recommendation of EAC in its meeting held on 27-28th August 2012 at New Delhi. Now the stage-I FC for 54.639 ha of forest land involved in the aforesaid project has been secured vide MoEF’s letter no. 8-47/2017-FC dated 03.01.2018. Detailed clarification on quantum of forest land vis-a-vis Stage-I FC has been given at Point No. 5.0. Based on the above, i.e. Stage-I FC approval and aforesaid EC for Phase-I, this application is being submitted for grant of EC for Jamunia UG (Phase-II) (dovetailing Phase-I). The details are submitted as below:- 2.0. Status of Mining Plan The Project report (including Mining Plan with the MCP) has since been recast in Sept 2015 and the same has been duly approved by WCL Board in its 279th meeting held on 18.07.2016 vide item no. 279/C-9 for capacity of 0.84 MTPA with an estimated capital requirement of Rs. 409.8748 crores. The changes in the original PR and recast PR with specific reference to EC parameters is placed below:- Sl Particulars Unit PR Nov’2008 Recast PR (including No. Mining Plan) Sept 2015 1. Name - Jamunia UG Mine 2. Name of the - Pench Area/WCL Area/Company 3. Nearest Railway Station Name/ Parasia/40km for project km 4. Nearest National/ State Name/ State Highway No.19/ 40 km Highway/ Approach Road km Urdhan Approach Road/ 2.5 km 5. Name of Geological block Name Jamunia Geological block 6. Area of Geological block Sq. km 5.3 Sl Particulars Unit PR Nov’2008 Recast PR (including No. Mining Plan) Sept 2015 7. Description of workable 3 Coal seams Seam-II Seam (III+IV) Comb. Seam-V 8. Area of proposed mine Sq.km. 4.00 2.92 block 9. Description of workable seams Avg. Thickness m II – 2.85 III+IV – 4.40 V – 3.00 Avg. Grade GCV II – G6 III+IV – G5 V – G6 Avg. Gradient II – 1 in 10 III+IV - 1 in 10 V - 1 in 10 Depth Range m II - 120-260 m III+IV – 135-272 m V – 142 – 284 m Mineable Reserves Mt II – 8.90 II – 6.65 III+IV – 14.59 III+IV – 11.14 V – 9.77 V – 7.43 33.26 25.22 Extractable Reserves Mt II – 6.42 II – 5.04 III+IV – 9.44 III+IV – 7.26 V – 6.90 V – 5.20 22.76 17.50 10. Mode of Entry 2 nos. inclines and 1 no. of airshaft. 11. Method of Mining Board and Pillar with caving (Continuous Miner Technology) 12. Target Capacity MTPA 0.72 (copy attached as 0.84 (copy attached as (Normative) Annexure - I) Annexure - III) 13. Peak Capacity MTPA 0.828(copy attached as 1.05(copy attached as Annexure - II) Annexure - III ) 14. Total Mine Life Yrs 37 26 15. Total Manpower Nos. 545 530 16. Land Details a) Total land to be acquired ha 407.00 (conforms to 376.940 original application) i). Govt. Land ha 9.06 9.053 ii). Tenancy Land ha 323.24 308.585 iii). Forest Land ha 74.70 (State Revenue 59.302 (State Revenue Forest) Forest)* * The total forest land for which Stage-I FC has been accorded is 54.639 ha vide MoEF&CC’s letter no. 8- 47/2017-FC dated 03.01.2018. From the above it may be seen that there are changes in terms of the following:- Sl Particulars Unit PR Nov’2008 Recast PR (including No. Mining Plan) Sept 2015 1. Area of proposed mine Sq.km. 4.00 2.92 block Mineable Reserves Mt II – 8.90 II – 6.65 III+IV – 14.59 III+IV – 11.14 V – 9.77 V – 7.43 33.26 25.22 Extractable Reserves Mt II – 6.42 II – 5.04 III+IV – 9.44 III+IV – 7.26 V – 6.90 V – 5.20 22.76 17.50 2. Target Capacity MTPA 0.72 (copy attached as 0.84 (copy attached (Normative) Annexure - I) as Annexure - III) 3. Peak Capacity MTPA 0.828(copy attached as 1.05(copy attached Annexure - II) as Annexure - III ) 4. Total Mine Life Yrs 37 26 5. Total Manpower Nos. 545 530 6. Land Details a) Total land to be acquired ha 407.00 (conforms to 376.940 original application) i). Govt. Land ha 9.06 9.053 ii). Tenancy Land ha 323.24 308.585 iii). Forest Land ha 74.70 (State Revenue 59.302 (State Forest) Revenue Forest)* 3.0. Justification for Phase-II In this regard, reference is drawn to the minutes of 55th Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) (Thermal & Coal Mining) meeting held on 27-28th August 2012 at New Delhi. The relevant portion of the minutes is reproduced below:- Quote “ 9. Jamuniya UG (0.72 MTPA to 0.828 MTPA) of M/s Western Coalfields Ltd.,, dist. Chindwara, M.P. 1. The proponent informed that the total land requirement for proposed Jamuniya Underground project is 407.00 ha. Out of which 74.70 ha is forest land and the balance is non forest land. The break-up of total land requirement as submitted in the EIA/EMP is summarized as below:- Type of Rights Government Tendency Forest Total land Land(ha) land(ha) Land(ha) requirement(ha) All Rights 9.09 316.24 ----- 325.30 Surface Rights ---- 7.00 ----- 7.00 Mining Rights ---- ---- 74.70 74.70 Total 9.09 323.24 74.70 407.00 2. The proponent had informed that there is no forest land required under Surface right/All right. The application for forestry Clearance under FC Act, 1980 has already been submitted and registered vide No.CWA/MMM/2012-82 dated 05.05.2012 and the proposal is presently with the MP State Government. Now in view of the recommendation of EAC, the EC requires submission of Stage-1 Forest Clearance, which may take considerable time and there is urgent need for increase of coal production to meet the growing demand of power in the country. The proponent had suggested an alternative proposal which include, inter alia, (i) in the first phase, EC is solicited for the project without forest land i.e. with some production capacity in a ML Area of 332.30 ha; (ii) Public Hearing has been conducted for the entire project land i.e. 407.00 ha (iii) all issues regarding environmental aspects in the proposed underground project has been addressed and presented before EAC(T&C); (iv) There is no change in the mining method; (v) Since there is no forest land under Surface/All right the initial mining activities namely incline drivage can start after EC. The Incline drivage (two nos. of 840 m each) and sinking of air shaff (194 m depth) will take about 3 years. Thereafter, the main dip development can start below non-forest land along with development of panels namely Panel 6, 14, 15 & 16 also below non-forest land which will take another 3-4 years. Therefore, during these 6-7 years’ time, the Stage-1 Forest Clearance is likely to be obtained, and once the Stage-I Forest Clearance is received, fresh EC application will be made for annexing additional land (i.e. forest land only) within the same capacity. In view of our above submission EC for proposed Jamunia UG project for a normative capacity of 0.72 MTPA & peak capacity of 0.828 MTPA in a ML Area of 332.30 ha without any forest land in the first phase may kindly be granted. 3. The Committee recommended for granting Environment Clearance to Phase – I project. However, the proponent was asked to seek EC for phase – II activities after the approval of forest land. ” Unquote As seen from the above, the EAC had recommended for granting EC for Phase-I project. Accordingly EC was granted for Phase-I without forest land vide letter dated 31.12.2012. In the aforesaid minutes, EAC had also asked WCL to seek EC for Phase-II activities after the approval of forest land. Now the approval of forest land (Stage-I FC) has been secured vide MoEF&CC’s letter dated 03.01.2018 (Copy of the same is enclosed as Annexure - IV).