At least 143 abandoned coal mines across India need to be closed down in an ‘eco-friendly and scientific manner’, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently directed the Ministry of Coal and Mines. The issue of mine closure was discussed last week during a consultative meeting at the ministry presided over by Union Minister G Kishan Reddy.
According to Reddy, the coal ministry has already shut down eight such mines out of the targeted 10 this year. Action will be initiated against 130 other mines in the coming days, he said. The ministry will consider suggestions for providing employment to local communities who had given up their lands for mining, he added.
India is the world’s second largest producer of coal and at least 21.5 million people in the country work in fossil fuels and its dependent sectors, as mentioned in the Five R’s report by iFOREST (International Forum For Environment, Sustainability & Technology), a New Delhi-based environmental think tank.
Approximately 2,550 square kilometres area in the country constitute coal mines and there are plans to increase coal production to meet the rising coal demand for power production, claims the coal ministry. Two of the world’s five largest coal mines are in Korba district of Chhattisgarh in India.
Even though coal supplies 70 per cent of India's energy requirements, in the face of climate change, there is a pressure to scale down fossil fuels due to rising carbon emission. Already, 299 mines across the country are considered ‘abandoned, discontinued, or closed’.
India has pledged to achieve net zero emissions by the year 2070. By 2030, the country aims to reach 500 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy capacity and meet 50 per cent of its energy needs from clean sources.
A new report, Bright Side of the Mine, by the Global Energy Monitor (GEM) has estimated that India has the fourth highest potential in the world to generate solar power from abandoned coal mines by reclaiming the degraded land to meet rising energy needs and create jobs.
This first-of-its-kind analysis has identified over 63 disused mine sites across India, covering more than 500 square kilometres, which could collectively generate 27.11 GW of solar power — equivalent to nearly 37 per cent of the country’s current installed solar capacity.
Telangana, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh feature among the top 20 global regions with the highest land availability from closed or soon-to-be-closed mines. These four states alone could generate over 22 GW of solar power, notes the report.
But will the local communities, who gave up their lands and were displaced for mining purposes, benefit from such ‘clean and green’ transformation?
Just Transition for Local Communities
As economies transition to cleaner energy, workers and communities in these industries, such as millions of coal mine workers, risk being left behind. So, ‘just transition’ is the way forward.
It means greening the economy in a way that is fair and inclusive. The transition should create decent work opportunities for all, and leave no one behind. Just transition policies must minimise relative costs for the most vulnerable groups and provide them alternative safer and cleaner jobs.
But there is another associated issue of equity, social justice and the rights of local communities who gave up their lands for mining purposes. Many of these people belong to tribal or forest-dwelling communities.
Voices from the ground are getting stronger demanding that the reclaimed and restored lands be handed back to the communities, who should decide the future development on such lands.
The proposed Coal Bearing Areas (Acquisition and Development) Amendment Bill, 2024 has the potential to restore community ownership of land previously acquired for mining. The Bill allows the Union government to transfer or return land post-closure.
The newly inserted section 29 in the Bill relates to Transfer/Return/Vesting of land, for reuse after closure of mine or for use of land which is unviable for mining. It reads: “Where it appears to Central Government that any land acquired under this Act is no more required, can transfer/return/vest such land for various uses as it may deem fit, in part or full…”
Beyond Mine Closure
Several coal mines in the country have exhausted their reserves and need a proper scientific and ‘green’ closure so that the reclaimed land can be used for environment-friendly projects.
According to official data, Coal India Ltd (CIL), a public sector undertaking and the largest government-owned coal producer in the world, has identified 299 mines across the country that are considered ‘abandoned, discontinued, or closed.’
An “abandoned” mine is one in which owners have no intention of reclaiming it, whereas a “discontinued” mine remains inaccessible but could reopen if technology allows it to.
Mine closure involves restoring the physical, chemical, and biological quality of land disturbed by mining activities. Mine closure occurs in two stages: progressive closure, which involves continuous restoration throughout the mining period, and final closure in which the area is restored to a sustainable ecosystem.
According to an official press statement regarding the 299 mines identified for closure, 68 of these are pre-2009 mines. There are 63 Final Mine Closure Plans (FMCPs) that have been prepared. Additionally, 14 pre-2009 mines are designated for temporary closure, with comprehensive Temporary Mine Closure Plans (TMCPs) developed for each.
Coal India Ltd is also actively preparing 35 FMCPs for post-2009 mines. The year 2009 is important as that is when the Indian government for the first time issued Guidelines for Preparation of Mine Closure Plan.
But, 16 years on, the closure of coal mines is yet to be carried out as pointed out in a detailed report in India Spend, which also filed a Right To Information (RTI) application to collect information.
The report, Unfinished Business: India’s Coal Mine Closure Crisis Threatens Just Transition, points out that “most of the abandoned or discontinued mines remain in limbo — neither have they been reclaimed nor restored — neglecting both environmental rehabilitation and community welfare.”
The India Spend report stresses on the need to change the system so communities can collectively own and manage returned mining land.
According to the report, repurposing land to establish solar energy projects can cause power imbalance and inequalities. Just transition requires empowerment of communities that have been historically ignored. These include small, worker-owned energy cooperatives that must be given a push rather than large-scale solar projects overseen by private or government corporations.
The Global Energy Monitor also highlights this issue in its recent report: “In India… many closed coal mines have remained idle for years due to the absence of clear policies governing closure and the return of land rights. In many instances, these abandoned mines, often not officially closed, are directly transferred to renewable energy or afforestation projects, bypassing the return of land to local communities. Addressing this issue is critical to prevent the replication of unjust land ownership regimes in the renewable energy sector.”
Green Transition in Maharashtra’s Energy Hub
On June 25, last month, iFOREST released India’s first Regional Just Transition Investment Plan for the Chandrapur-Nagpur-Yavatmal (CNY) region in Maharashtra, which accounts for 100 per cent of the state’s coal production and half its coal-based power.
The 10-year blueprint, titled Regional Just Transition Investment Plan, identifies three economic development nodes — Bhadrawati-Wani, Rajura-Chandrapur, and Umrer — which can together repurpose 6,000 hectares of coal mine land into green energy and industrial hubs, including green industries, renewable energy parks, aquaculture, or eco-tourism areas.
According to iFOREST, repurposing coal mining land and tapping into the region’s vast renewable energy potential can transform the CNY region into Maharashtra’s green energy and green industry hub. The region’s strong industrial base, growing services sector, and robust rail and road connectivity make it well-suited for green transformation.
The blueprint has estimated that by 2035, the region can attract up to Rs 5.4 lakh crore in green investments, generate 3.4 lakh jobs, and contribute to 4 per cent of regional GDP growth. It will also create alternative livelihoods for local communities, it claims.
The plan identifies key ‘just transition’ costs amounting to Rs 33,400 crore that must be supported through public investment and contributions from coal mining companies and power utilities. These include expenditure on land reclamation and repurposing, worker skilling, capacity building, and institutional strengthening.
But we must address the larger question — When the coal runs out, who gets the land back and who gets the right to develop it?
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