The country?s premier exploration body and state-run Geological Survey of India?s (GSI) regional-level exploration to discover new minerals has met a roadblock due to certain provisions in the guidelines issued under the Forest Conservation Act, 1980.
The new National Mineral Policy (NMP) was approved by the Cabinet on March 13, 2008. According to Para 2.3 of the policy, ?Mining is closely linked with forestry and environment issues. A significant part of the nation?s known reserves of some important minerals are in areas which are under forest cover. Further, mining activity is an intervention in the environment and has the potential to disturb the ecological balance of an area. However, the needs of economic development make the extraction of the nation?s mineral resources an important priority. A framework of sustainable development will be designed which takes care of bio diversify issues and to ensure that mining activity takes place along with suitable measures for restoration of the ecological balance.?
Para 2.1 states, ?It will be ensured that regional and detailed exploration is carried out systematically in the entire geologically conducive mineral bearing area of the country using state-of-the-art techniques in a time bound manner. The extraction of mineral resource; located through exploration and prospecting has to be maximised through scientific methods of mining beneficiation and economic utilisation.?
The Centre while approving the policy has sought to balance the needs of development with the need to protect the environment. To this end, the policy envisages 100% exploration of all potential areas and with exploitation being limited to such areas where it is possible to take suitable measures for restoration of the ecological balance. The GSI is involved in survey and mapping of all geological parametres including mineralisation, primarily to assess resources, locate geological anomalies and to prepare detailed maps for use by Central and state agencies for a variety of developmental purposes.
At present, Para 1.3 (i) of guidelines under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 permit investigations and surveys for transmission lines, hydroelectric projects, seismic surveys, exploration for oil drilling, mining etc. However, under Para 1.3 (v), prospecting of any mineral which requires collection or removal of samples from the forest land will require permission under Forest (Conservation) Act. At the same time, the number of test drill holes is restricted to 109 boreholes per 100 sq km of not more than 10 cm diametre.
The Para 1.3 (v), according to sources, is a restriction and contradicts the provisions of Para 1.3 (i) since it does not even allow regional exploration which is a form of ?survey?, without prior permission under Forest (Conservation) Act. Besides, provision is at variance with the recently announced National Mineral Policy which specifically directs that regional exploration be carried out in a time bound manner.
It has been GSI?s view that even for regional exploration; the number of boreholes is generally of the order of 5 to 20 boreholes per sq km depending on the mineral and type of deposit. The 43rd meeting of the Central Geological Programming Board (CGPB) will be held on September 29 and this issue is likely to be taken up. According to sources the matter is already pending with a committee constituted by ministry of environment and forest (MoEF) under the chairmanship of 1G (Forests), which includes GSI, MECL and CMPDIL. The committee was to give its report by January 8, 2007, but it is understood that the report is still awaited.
In a recent letter written to the MoEF, mines secretary Shantanu Consul said, ?The issue is hanging because allowing GSI to do regional exploration will open the gates to unrestricted mining in forest and ecologically fragile areas. The mines ministry too shares these concerns.? Consul, however, suggested that regional exploration by GSI will only establish the resources. The decision to exploit it will be subject to the policy.
Until an early decision is taken in this regard GSI?s regional exploration in forest areas will continue to be severely hampered.