Procedure for Appraisal of Minor Mineral Mining Projects for Grant of Prior Environmental Clearance

摘要

Mining industry is a primary Industry. It provides the basic raw material for other industries, for infrastructure development and for construction industry. India is endowed with large resources of minerals which include 4 fuels, 10 metallic, 47 non-metallic, 3 atomic and 23 minor minerals. A considerable part of mining activities in India comprises of small-scale mining of minor minerals.Mining of minor mineral is mostly in unorganised sector and is carried out in unscientifically and unsystematically mannercausing damage to the environment Unlike mining of major minerals, which are carried out under strict regulatory frame work, mining of minor minerals were governed by very lenient laws till yesterday Before enforcement of EIA notification 2006, mines of minor minerals were exempted to obtain prior environmental clearance. On realizing the potential of minor mineral mines to adversely affect the different components of environment, mines of minor mineral having lease area of more than 5 ha were brought under the ambit of Environment Impact Assessment Notification 2006.After a historic judgment of Honorable Supreme Court dated 27.2.2014 Deepak kumarVs state of Haryana, all the mines of minor minerals irrespective of their lease area were also brought under the purview of EIA Notification 2006. The paper describes the various norms, guidelines issued by Ministry of Environment and Forest to appraise the mining projects of minor mineral for grant of prior Environmental Clearance.