Sustainable Development of Mining Industry & Challenges Ahead

摘要

The sixth edition of Global Environment outlook from the UN Environment programme has come as another Stark warning: the world is unsustainable extracting resources and producing unmanageable quantities of Waste. The linear model of Economic growth depends on extraction of ever-higher quantities of materials leading to Chemicals/Waste flowing into Air, Water and Land. The UN report GEO-6, on the theme-"Healihy Planet, Healthy people" has some sharp pointers for India. The Focus on Sustainable Development in world originated in 1983 by constitution of Brundtland commission which defined "Sustainable development to ensure that it meets the need of the present without comprising the ability of future generation to meet their own needs" leading to creation of UN 17 Sustainable Development Goals(SDG). The History and emphasis for Sustainability of Mining Industry in India was raised in year 2005 through a High Level committee which was constituted under Chairmanship of AnwarlalHoda which recommended for the Development of an sustainable Development Framework(SDF).This was followed by National Mineral Policy(NMP,2008) and further MMDR (Amendment) Act,2015 which empowered the Central Government to implement and evaluate SDF leading to evolution of Star Rating system. With the Apex court judgment w.r.t writ petition no. 114 of 2014 the NMP-2008 was again revisited and a Modified NMP-2019 was framed by giving impetus to Sustainable Mining by ensuring suitable Mechanism for it. The paper focuses on Legislative Framework of Sustainable Development of Mining Industry and challenges in implementing it .The major challenges are some of the existing parameters in Star rating system, Mineral Auction Rules(2015), Disposal of solar e-Waste, Logistics &infrastructure Development in remote/Tribal area, Tedious process of Land acquisition process& issues pertaining to FRA(2006).