India’s Coal Rush
Introduction
India is a third-world developing country and depends on natural resources for development since it is still in the stage of industrial revolution. However, the use of coal as the main source of energy has caused other negative effects on the environment, and its citizens (Chabukdhara and Singh, 2016). Most people employed in the extraction of coal from the mines have had cases of respiratory complications and skin diseases (Daball, 2016). Additionally, coal mining causes environmental problems such as air pollution, water pollution, and increases the chances of global warming. Consequently, the Indian government and other international organizations have the mandate to provide policies that would decrease the effects of coal mining to the global warming (Kuanzer and Stracher, 2012). Additionally, the Indian government has started the provision of policies and initiatives aimed at protecting the environment as well as the residents as a way of improving the mining strategies with minimal and reduced risks. Therefore, this paper focuses on the importance of the Indian government and the international organizations in the fight against open coal mining as well as the management of resources, which would be seen in the power of resource corporations.
The Case of India’s Coal Rush
India has been in a rush for industrial development by investing in coal mining. The Indian government and energy resource ministry argued that India would rely on the availability of coal to increase the economic development as well as maintaining their developing nation (Aljazeera, 2015). Additionally, the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, claimed that the environmental pollution was a secondary factor to their developing nation (Chabukdhara and Singh, 2016). For instance, India is a developing country focusing on strategies that would reduce poverty by investing in the utilization of the natural resources such as coal. The government as well provided information regarding the rapid growth of the economy through the process of mining of coal. Similarly, the Indian government through the Energy Ministry commented on their need for lifting the hopes of millions of people from poverty by increasing chances of employment in the coal mines (Chabukdhara and Singh, 2016).
Most of the Indian population lives in poverty without necessities such as electricity, shelter, and employment. Therefore, having large coal mines would provide employment and increase the chances of stimulating the economic development as many people would have access to a source of income (Kuanzer and Stracher, 2012). However, India has been faced with the problem of environmental changes and climatic pollution. For instance, people living near coal mines have had cases of respiratory complications and skin diseases. Therefore, the international organizations have drawn concern on the ongoing climate changes in India caused by the coal mining and have advocated for favorable measures that would reduce the risks of global warming at an international level (Daball, 2016). Furthermore, the Indian government has shown concern by investing in diverse strategies that would reduce the risks of coal mines to the citizens.
Indian Government’s Stand on Coal Mining
The Indian Government has the power to change the effects of coal mining in their country. The power of the government and local organizations fighting for environmental issues have tried to lay down strategies that would see the reduction of coal mining to the community (Aljazeera, 2015). However, the Indian government stands with the notion that coal mining is the primary source of income and a platform for industrial development (Goswami, 2013). For instance, the government has initiated a plan that would increase the mining and production of coal output to 1 billion Tons as part of the national development agenda (Goswami, 2013). Coal mining would be the basis of economic development as seen in their strategy to reduce the poverty level.
Furthermore, the high rate of coal mining would increase the rate of providing electricity by a 60% whereby coal products would be used to produce other renewable energy sources (Goswami, 2013). Additionally, coal production and usage is considered favorable compared to nuclear power as the latter is associated with health risks. Therefore, India does not provide another alternative that would be considered favorable against the coal mining hence; becoming their main source of income and energy. Ghose (2003) also claims that the Indian government as well targets to increase the growth of the economy by 8% with the incorporation of coal mining year after year.
Power Vested in Organizations
The Indian government has had various organizations that have been focused on investing the power to control and manage the natural resources by focusing on the coal mining and its effects. For instance, the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) regulates the environmental impacts of mining in the country by providing clearances for the mining in forests (Gupta and Goldar, 2005). Additionally, the Ministry protects the environment through imposing policies that prevent pollution as they ensure that the mining companies and polluters pay a huge amount of money to the environmental organizations as a way of restoring the polluted environment.
Furthermore, the ministry ensures the protection of natural resources such as forests and rivers which are considered as the sources of clean air and clean water to the Indian environment (Aljazeera, 2012). The power of local organizations acting under the MoEF ensures that the pollution is minimized regardless of the overall demand for coal energy in the country. Additionally, the ministry offers a declaration under the Article 23 of the Mineral Conservation and Development Rules which speculates that any mining company should act considerably by controlling, protecting, and regulating the pollution during the mining process as well as the post-mining process (Downing, 2002). Therefore, the Article ensures that the mining company complies with the rules and regulations that protect the Indian community by maintaining a clean environment with minimal chances of pollution.
The MoEF has as well laid down other regulations concerning coal mining to the benefit of the community in ensuring a reduced rate of pollution through the mining and production of coal products. For example, the wildlife protection, the water prevention, the forest conservation, and the air prevention and control are some of the Acts under the MoEF that helps in empowering the fight against the pollution through the coal mining (Gupta and Goldar, 2005). Furthermore, the ministry is focusing on implementing the strategies that would empower the reduction of environmental impacts of coal mining as seen in the governments’ power to regulate the coal mining in India (Magnier, 2012). Therefore, the regulatory rules and policies laid down by the MoEF in India are seen in the power invested in the ministry and other environmental firms that aim at regulating the production and mining of coal as the primary source of income in the country.
Jharia Coalfield Committee
The Indian government has been faced with the problem of fire as seen in the mines of Jharia. Jharia is a mining site which was reported to contain unending fire that started in 1916. However, the previous governments failed to put efforts of reducing the fire but focused on exploiting the mining sites and the nearby residents (Stracher and Taylor, 2004). Eventually, the Indian government through strategic plans has shown efforts of investing their power to save the Jharia mining sites. For instance, several projects were initiated that aimed at extinguishing the coal mine fires. More than ten fire sites were extinguished and saved the residents from the consequences of the fire. Additionally, the government through the fire initiatives managed to extinguish other 67 fires under 45 fire projects (Stracher and Taylor, 2004).
The project to save the Jharia mining sites was aimed at preventing the effects of coal mine fires such as air and water pollution as well as endangering the lives of the nearby residents (Ghose and Majee, 2007). The recent strategy was implemented by the Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL) that was responsible for providing research towards the minimization of coal mine fire to the community. Therefore, the implementation of the strategy was to incorporate the local mining company and another international mining company from Germany as they tried to find the solution for the fire (Ghose and Majee, 2007). The results obtained from the research claimed that after the extinguishing of the mine fires, there would be no need for relocation and the companies would continue with their process of mining coal to the advantage of the Indian government. However, the political structure has not vested their interest in the fight against coal mine fires, and there has been reported delays to the coal mine fires.
Jharia Action Plan (Government’s Resettlement Project)
The Indian Government has invested their power in the controlling and protection of coal mines through their initiative to protect the residents. For instance, the problems facing the Jharia and other coal mine sites are the continuous fires, health effects, and the lack of basic needs for the miners around the mining sites. Therefore, the government through the Jharia Action Plan (JAP) has initiated the program of relocating the suffering residents to other regions (Stracher and Taylor, 2004). The program is set to protect the residents from the risk of the rising fire as well as the effects of health hazards associated with the coal mining. The JAP program is initiated and funded by the Indian government as a way of preventing any unforeseeable disaster. Furthermore, the program would as well minimize the risks associated with health problems which have been reported to increase within the residents nearby a coal mine (Magnier, 2012). For example, the rate of respiratory diseases is higher to the residents near a coal mining site as compared to urban dwellers (Lahiri-Dutt, 2014).
Similarly, residents living within Jharia Coalfields have a risk of falling into the burning coal mines. Several cases were reported of people falling into the burning mines, while others claimed that many people die in the mines but fear reporting because most of the victims are illegal coal miners (Garg and Shukla, 2009). However, the JAP initiative has not been of success considering that only a 5% of the population have benefited from the relocation program (Garg and Shukla, 2009). Additionally, the relocated population does not access necessities such as housing and food whereas the government has failed to provide such amenities to the relocated population. Therefore, the government has failed to invest power to manage the natural resources as the population suffers from the effects of coal mining in India.
Delhi-Based Center for Science and Environment (CSE)
The research of the CSE was focusing on the government initiatives that have been implemented to control the negative effects of coal mining in India. The institution studied the clearance process of companies willing to invest in the coal mining. For instance, the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) offered clearance forms to various companies to conduct the mining process (Downing, 2002). The selection of the suitable mining companies was based on the strategy of handling environmental issues as well as the initiative to prevent diverse pollution.
The Five Year Plan (FYP) was the platform to incorporate 181 different mining companies that were seen to implement environmental strategies that would help in the minimization of pollution from the coal mining (Aljazeera, 2012). Therefore, the companies granted the Environmental Clearance would help the government in increasing the overall production of coal as well as implement the environmental goals of having a clean environment. The initiative was to invest power of the government in the protection of natural resources as well as the prevention of negative impacts of pollution caused by the coal mining (Downing, 2002). However, the process of offering forest clearance could cause negative effects on the environment. Granting the coal mining companies the certificate to clear forests would result in deforestation and damage to the sources of clean water.
Renewable Energy in India
The role of the government of India in protecting the emissions of carbon is through the process of adopting renewable energy that would replace the use of fossil fuels such as crude oil and coal. However, the struggle for enhancing the use of renewable energy has not been smooth bearing in mind that India is a developing country and investing in renewable energy would take much of their revenues (Kumar, et al., 2010). Furthermore, the government through the ministry of energy and the ministry of the environment should delegate their role towards representatives that would discuss the importance of advocating for renewable energy instead of the use of fossil fuels. For instance, being one of the representatives, the idea of choosing renewable energy sources would be based on the notion that the sources of fossil fuels would deplete very soon with the rising demand for energy in India (Jha, 2015). Similarly, the use of fossil fuels such as coal is becoming a health issue which is affecting the future of the people in general and the depletion of the ozone layer which is seen as a danger to the global warming (Panwar, Kaushik, and Kothari, 2011). Therefore, the government and the available resource corporations have the mandate to declare the best options that would have favorable results towards the development of Indian community with the least disadvantages to the population.
Furthermore, the resource management agencies have laid down the optimum requirements in understanding the need for renewable energy. For instance, the Indian country has a large usage in the percentage of fossil fuels compared to the renewable energy. The use of crude oil and coal consists of 79% while the renewable energy usage is composed of 18% as the other 3% is of the nuclear power (Kumar, et al., 2010). However, the energy demand showed that coal is needed in many instances at domestic or production level. Coal is used to promote the production of other renewable sources such as electricity but electricity being one of the renewable energy is second ranked in the demand schedule (Panwar, Kaushik, and Kothari, 2011). Therefore, the government and the resource management agencies should help in seeing the development in the use of renewable energy and increase the chances of generating the renewable energy in the country.
The country was also seen to increase the chances of doubling the production of renewable energy. For example, the projected Five Year Plan was invested with the additional US $19 billion that was estimated to increase the production of 15000 megawatts (MW) which would increase the total power generation capacity aimed at improving production and economy by 5% (Kumar, et al., 2010). Additionally, the use of renewable energy would be beneficial to the country based on the assumption that the community would report lesser incidences of respiratory diseases as well as minimize the risks associated with the use of coal and coal mining. Additionally, coal mining is said to be in the process of extinction because of the depletion and burning of their sources which was seen in places such as Jharia (Goswami, 2013). Jhara mines have been burning since 1916, and billions of tons of coal have been wasted through the fire which is not yet put off. Furthermore, coal mines and other fossil fuels are said to be diminishing as in the next decade, and the country will be required to find alternatives of their source of energy (Panwar, Kaushik, and Kothari, 2011). Therefore, the resource management agencies have proposed for the embracing the use of renewable energy which would not only be beneficial to the country’s economy but also to the lives of the community and other organisms.
Government’s Approach towards the Illegal Coal Mining in India
India has been faced with the problem of illegal mining in most of their coal-rich regions. However, the problem erupts because of the poor management of the state-owned mines which are neglected and poorly kept, and the neighboring population is left with the danger of being affected by the hazardous carbon emissions (Lahiri-Dutt, 2007). Therefore, the government plays an important role in delegating their power in the control of coal mines. The power of the government and other local resource management organizations are to protect the population as well as ensuring a steady flow of coal production for the benefit of the economy (Mahama, 2006). Furthermore, illegal coal mining has seen the rising disadvantages of coal mining in India and the resource managers are supposed to come up with long-lasting solutions that would see the development of the economy and the protection of the natural resources.
Additionally, illegal mining is seen as the process of mining coal in India by the groups or individuals without the license to practice mining. Similarly, mineral products are said to be owned by the state, and any person or group of persons accessing the mines without government’s approval is considered illegal (Mahama, 2006). Therefore, there are two types of miners in a state which are the government itself or a group of individuals or a company granted the certificate of a lease to the mines. However, coal mining in India has had various cases of illegal mining. For example, India contains a large population of peasant miners who rely on illegal mining for their survival. Nearly 80 million tons of coal is mined and smuggled to the market illegally, but the government could not have full control to the business (Lahiri-Dutt, 2007). Similarly, most people living in poverty do not have access to employment in the legal mining companies making it hard for them to access basic needs. Therefore, most of the people engage in illegal mining increasing the chances of the dangers of mines. Furthermore, India is said to have a large number of illegal coal miners compared to the total number of legal employees of mining companies.
The government has tried to incorporate the needs of the population to minimize the risks associated with illegal mining which is seen to be at a higher rate in the country. For instance, the government through some resource management bodies, has indicated the need for the mining processes to incorporate the protection of natural resources (Lahiri-Dutt, 2007). Additionally, other programs have been set to help the regional residents in relocation and resettlements as well as rehabilitation of affected communities with the aim of minimizing the effects of illegal mining which has not considered the negative sides of the business (Lahiri-Dutt, 2007). Illegal mining failed to enquire of consider the social implications such as the destruction of natural resources like forests and rivers and it has been the mandate of the government to ensure the protection of such natural resources.
Other Mining Policies and Changes
The Indian government has tried to improve the process of coal mining and the operations towards the betterment of the overall mining industry. For example, the initiatives set by the government and other environmental organizations have declared the formation of a committee that would act on behalf of the International Coal Ventures Limited (ICVL) (Jha, 2015). The ICVL would consider the proposals of the government to invest in the coal mining and other overseas companies for the marketing of coal products (Jha, 2015). The proposal is aimed at improving the investment regulation and the role of a mining company in the protection of natural resources. Additionally, the guidelines for mine closure are set to regulate and ensure that the mining companies comply with environmental standards. The environmental organizations request the government to impose the guidelines that would be followed by the mining companies in an effort of having a completed site after the completion of a mining site.
However, it was seen that India had experienced several instances where the mining companies neglected a mining site after evacuation and after the completion of their task in a mining site (Chaulya, 2004). Therefore, the guidelines are set to protect the environment and prevent the risks of environmental dangers. The Ministry of Law and Justice is preparing a proposal that would ascertain the compliance of mining companies in the handling of the by-products of coal mining. For example, coal mining companies are requested to comply with the standards of keeping a clean environment and the government through the ministry of law and justice has laid down the rules and regulations to curb the effects of exposing the by-products of coal in a mining site. Furthermore, the cleaning and washing of coal products would ensure the increasing of the economic value of the final products as well as reduce the emissions of gasses to the environment (Chaulya, 2004). Therefore, the policies would help in minimizing the risks of environmental pollution as well as increase the productivity and the economic value of the coal products.
Conclusion
The Indian economy depends on the availability of fossil fuels mostly the coal minerals. Therefore, coal mining has been an important aspect to the Indians as an easy way of improving the economic status. India is a developing country and has been reported as the second in the countries with a recent rapid development percentage China being the leading developing country. However, the coal mining operations are becoming dangerous as the strategies employed are reported to contain illegal attributes as well as other dangers associated with health. The population within the mining regions are said to be affected by respiratory complications as well as the skin infections. Therefore, the government has to weigh down their operations in need for obtaining the optimum measure that would ensure a balanced operation between economic importance and the health issues affecting the miners and other neighboring populations. Similarly, illegal mining is an issue affecting the mining business bearing in mind that India has the largest percentage of illegal miners compared to the population employed in legal mining companies. Therefore, India should develop policies and laws regulating the coal mining and that would encourage the protection of natural resources with the implementation of an adequate resource management. The power of the government and other local and international organizations in protecting the natural resources should incorporate the strategies aimed at preventing global warming.
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