The Union Coal Ministry has sought to rush through the forest diversion process for proposed opencast coal mining, which would require the felling of more than one lakh standing trees in a reserve forest and cause significant disturbance to elephant population in Odisha’s Angul district.
Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL), a joint venture company between the Government of India and Telangana, has proposed to mine coal at Naini Coal Mine in Chhendipada Tahasli of Angul district.
The total requirement of land for the project is 912.799 ha, of which 643.095 ha are reserved forestland and 140.180 ha are village forestland. The remaining is non-forestland.
