GUWAHATI, May 24 - The State Board of Wildlife (SBWL) in its 9th meeting held on September 20, 2016, had �recommended� the proposal for diversion of the 98.59 hectares of land in Saleki proposed reserved forest (PRF) for Tikok Open Cast Project (OCP) coal mining of the North Eastern Coal Fields of the Coal India Ltd. Presently, this act of approval of coal mining inside the Saleki PRF is in the eye of the storm with all the fingers of accusation pointed towards the National Board of Wildlife (NBWL).
The SBWL then in its 10th meeting held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal at the Chief Minister�s Conference Hall on February 22, 2018, also discussed and confirmed the said resolution of the ninth meeting, which stated, among others, ��After deliberation on the matter the board recommended (to Union Government) the proposal subject to compliance to a set of mitigation measures as suggested by Expert Committee.�
In its 9th meeting, the SBWL had also recommended the proposal for diversion of 72 hectares of forest land for the Tikak extension open cast project.
Later on, the NBWL �approval� came in the form of a recommendation for approval of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) �for the broken up area� of 57.20 hectares of forestland of Saleki PRF in the 57th meeting of the NBWL Standing Committee held on April 7, 2020. It then left the matter of the rest of the 41.39 hectares of �unbroken land� of the same PRF for consideration after the user agency (Coal India Ltd) �submits a feasibility report for underground mining, and also submits compliance report regarding fulfillment of all other conditions as recommended in the meeting held on 21st January, 2020.�
The 57th meeting of the NBWL was held through video conference and was chaired by the Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the proposal for use of 98.59 hectares of Saleki PRF land for Tikok OCP coal mining project was discussed by it as agenda item number 2.
Earlier, the item was considered at the 54th meeting of the NBWL Standing Committee held on July 18, 2019. As per the decision of the 54th meeting, a site inspection committee visited the project site and submitted its report on October 22, 2019 and a meeting with the officials of the Coal India Ltd and the MoEFCC was also held on January 21, 2020 under the chairmanship of the Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
In its 57th meeting, the NBWL Standing Committee said that after detailed discussions, it decided, among others, that the proposal for broken up area was �recommended for approval subject to submission of a rectified site specific mine reclamation plan (by the Coal India Ltd) in consultation with the Assam Forest Department.�
