Mahan Coal Limited Is Committed To Sustainable Development

MUMBAI, India - May 13, 2014 - PRLog -- As part of its forest regeneration programme, Mahan Coal Ltd will plant 68 lakh trees in the coal block during the project tenure of 14 years. As per the regeneration plan, the company will plant 19 trees for every tree felled to maintain the ecological equilibrium in the Mahan Coal Block area with the Forest Department.

Coal Development Phase vs Trees to be felled

•    Road Diversion - 4,774
•    Year I - 86,800
•    Year II - 44,702
•    Year III - 25,172
•    Year IV - 31,682
•    Year V - 38,626
•    Year VI-X - 1,25,426

The tree plantation will happen in a phased manner spanning 10 years. The tree plantation entails planting approximately twenty times more trees during the entire period of the project, which is 14 years. The Mahan Coal Block is situated on the periphery of the 925.30 sq. km Mohan Ban Reserve Forest and abuts only 9.8 sq. km, i.e. 1.05 % of the forest.

Commenting on the Company's plans, CEO of Mahan Coal Limited Ramakant Tiwari, said, "Forest Regeneration is an accepted norm globally with positive results available worldwide. We believe in eco-responsible development where economic progress and environment protection go hand in hand. The regeneration will happen in phases in tandem with the development of the coal block. The planting of new trees will take place as and when a coal block area is covered up following the completion of coal extraction."

Yogesh Singh Chandel of Amelia village says, "We are happy with the initiative taken by Mahan Coal Ltd to plant around 68 lakh trees during the project tenure, which is almost 20 times the number of tress being felled. Now it is clear to us that the project will not only give us a better livelihood but also enhance the forest cover for our children and future generations."

Mahan Coal Limited will undertake Afforestation equivalent to three times the size of displaced forests:
•    on equivalent non-forest land in District Sagar
•    on double (the size of the forest being displaced) degraded forest area in Singrauli district

Usually, compensatory afforestation for projects is either of the above two conditions. But Mahan Coal Block is probably the only case in the country where both the conditions are being adhered to. Both schemes will create rich forests with bio-diversity and of the new forests planted, 60% will be in Singrauli and the remaining in Sagar district.

Region vs Area In Ha vs Estimated no. of trees to be plant

•    Compensatory afforestation in Sagar - 967.65 - 15,48,240

Forest Regeneration in Singrauli

•    Bargava - 300 - 6,18,040
•    Chitrangi - 286 - 4,11,853
•    Gorbi - 400 - 4,57,200
•    Sarai (West) - 200 - 2,85,613
•    Sarai (East) - 100 - 1,37,239
•    Mada - 100 - 1,05,700
•    Baidhan - 200 - 3,56,040

Total trees replanted as part of the forest regeneration scheme

•    Total - 1,936 - 28,88,165
•    'Suraksha Patati' - 14 - 25,735
•    Gap Planting - 53 - 89,375

Reclamation & Rehabilitation

•    Total - 879.16 - 21,97,900

Estimated No of Trees to be planted

•    Total - 67,49,415

Mahan Coal Ltd has already pledged Rs. 320 crore with government agencies towards forest compensation, land and schemes for afforestation, wildlife management plan etc.The company is committed to bring socio-economic prosperity to the villagers and at the same time, ensuring a robust forest regeneration program over the lifetime of the Mahan Coal Block Project.

Visit us at http://mahancoal.com/eco-responsibility.aspx