MUMBAI: Around 30 coal mines will be closed over the next three to four years to pave way for forests or water bodies, ministry of coal secretary Amrit Lal Meena said on the sidelines of the third Energy Transitions Working Group meeting, part of G20 summit, in Mumbai on Monday.
Meena said that there will also be a substantial reduction in the quantum of imported coal, reports Chittaranjan Tembhekar.
“The de-coaled lands are being put to environment-friendly use by filling them up with fly ash and creating forest cover, agriculture lands, solar plants and water bodies,” he said, and added that Coal India and other government agencies that deal in coal mining are set to achieve net zero target of 5,200 solar power production by 2026 to offset the carbon emissions due to energy usage need for mining activities.
