BHUBANESWAR: The State Government has underscored the need for strict adherence to different laws to prevent irregularities in the mining sector. Official sources said Steel and Mines Secretary Manoj Ahuja has written a letter to Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) Priyanath Padhi stating that as per the regulation III(2) of Metalliferous Mines Regulations,1961, no mining should be done within 7.5 metres of the boundary of a mine. In case of a disputed boundary, no work shall be done within a distance of 7.5 metres of the boundary claimed by the owner of an adjacent mines until such time a binding agreement is reached with regard to the correctness of the boundary or the dispute is finally settled as per law, he said. Further as per para 4.7 of guidelines on Forest Conservation Act (FCA), 1980, the safety zone of 7.5 metres width all around the lease boundaries should be strictly maintained, Ahuja said and added the safety zone area should be clearly demarcated on the ground as well as in the maps and kept as green belt by undertaking afforestation in each and every mine. In case of cluster of mines, the outer boundaries of the cluster should be taken as safety zone and its maintenance cost has to be borne proportionately by the lessees operating the cluster. The entire forest land of leasehold area, including the forest area coming within the safety zone, is required to be diverted under the provisions of the Act, Ahuja said. He said the properly-demarcated safety zone area will have to be fenced. The project authority will have to deposit funds with the Forest Department (Ad hoc-CAMPA) for protection and regeneration of the safety zone area. Further, the mining lessee will also have to bear the cost of the afforestation over 1.5 times of the safety zone area in degraded forest land to be identified by DFO elsewhere, the letter said. In case of existence of public roads, forest roads, natural streams and ‘nullahs’ within the mining lease area, mining activities should not be carried out up to a reasonable extent so as to protect /safeguard the facilities. The letter maintained that in case of working mines, where adequate forest/ non-forest area for safety zone is not available, the lessee is required to maintain safety zone area appropriately by acquiring required forest/non-forest land and thereafter obtaining approval under the FCA, 1980, for freshly acquired forest area for this purpose. He said the absence of improper demarcation of safety zone area can give rise to illegal mining outside the lease area and will also facilitate wilful alteration of the lease boundary. The permissions, if any, granted for undertaking mining activities in area, which comes within the safety zone area of the particular lease, shall stand revoked, he said. Besides, any such permission to carry out mining activities within the earmarked safety zone area of the lease should be subject to approval under provisions of MMDR Act 1957/FC Act,1980/ Metalliferous Mines Regulations, 1961, he said.
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