Parliament Question: Operationalisation of Coal Blocks in Madhya Pradesh

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COAL LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3961 ANSWERED ON- 12.08.2026 OPERATIONALISATION OF COAL BLOCKS IN MADHYA PRADESH †3961. SHRI SATISH KUMAR GAUTAM:

SHRI RAVINDRA SHUKLA ALIAS RAVI KISHAN:

SHRI ASHISH DUBEY:

SHRI JANARDAN MISHRA:

DR. RAJESH MISHRA:

Will the Minister of COAL be pleased to state:

(a) the details of the progress made under the operationalisation of coal blocks auctioned for commercial coal mining including the number of such coal blocks where production has commenced in Madhya Pradesh;

(b) the details of coal production from commercial Coal Mines during the financial year 2025– 26 in Madhya Pradesh and their contribution to the total domestic coal production of the country;

(c) the details of the measures taken by the Government to expedite statutory clearances and provide the necessary infrastructure support to ensure the time-bound development of commercial coal mines in Madhya Pradesh;

(d) the details of the progress made regarding the targets set by the Government for development of green belt and afforestation in newly operationalised commercial coal blocks in Singrauli district of Madhya Pradesh particularly in Dhirauli coal mine; and

(e) whether any modern technology has been deployed to check the declining groundwater level and air pollution caused due to the operationalisation of these coal mines in the region and if so, the details thereof? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE FOR COAL AND MINES (SHRI SATISH CHANDRA DUBEY)

(a) Since the launch of the commercial coal mine auction framework in June 2020, a total of 141 commercial coal blocks have been successfully auctioned, of which 132 blocks have been allocated (as of 30.06.2026). Nationally, 23 allocated commercial blocks have obtained Mine Opening Permission (MOP), and 15 blocks are currently producing coal. The remaining 8 blocks are advancing through mine infrastructure development, while the other 109 blocks are Page 1 of 3within their scheduled development periods as per their respective Coal Mine Development and Production Agreements (CMDPAs).

In the State of Madhya Pradesh, 30 commercial coal blocks have been allocated. Of these, 9 blocks have obtained MOP, 4 blocks have commenced coal production, and the remaining 5 blocks are progressing through various stages of mine infrastructure development

(b) The nation’s overall domestic coal production surpassed the 1 Billion Tonne (BT) mark for two consecutive financial years, reaching 1039.81 Million Tonnes (MT) in FY 2025–26.

During the same period, total coal production from operational commercial mines nationwide stood at 26.12 MT.

The coal production achieved from operational commercial mines in the State of Madhya Pradesh during FY 2025–26 was 0.30 MT, which contributed 1.15% of the total commercial production and 0.029% of the overall domestic coal production of the country.

(c) To expedite the operationalisation of commercial coal mines and promote the "Ease of Doing Business," the Ministry of Coal has introduced several landmark structural and procedural reforms • Accredited Prospecting Agencies (APAs): The Ministry has notified 44 private entities as APAs under the MMDR Act, 1957, allowing successful bidders to conduct geological exploration without the mandatory requirement of a prior prospecting license.

• Streamlined GR Approval: The mandatory requirement for Ministry approval of Geological Reports (GRs) has been dispensed with, and a peer-review mechanism by an accredited agency is now treated as approved.

• Colliery Control Rules, 2004 Amendment: The rules were amended to completely dispense with the mandatory Mine Opening Permission from the Coal Controller's Organisation, empowering the Boards of the respective companies to accord mine opening approvals.

• Critical Mineral Status for Coking Coal: Coking coal has been designated as a Critical and Strategic Mineral under the MMDR Act, 1957, significantly fast-tracking Environmental Clearances (EC) and Forest Clearances (FC).

• Single Window Clearance System (SWCS): A unified digital portal has been operationalised and integrated with the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change's PARIVESH 2.0 portal for end-to-end online clearance processing Further, the Ministry is coordinating actively with the MoEF&CC for expediting the clearances for operationalization of coal blocks. The MoEF&CC, based on the Ministry’s persuasion, has undertaken several measures to streamline forest permissions required for Exploration and Environment Clearance (EC) and Forest Clearance (FC) for coal mine operationalization

(d) In Singrauli district, there is only one producing commercial coal mine i.e. Dhirauli, allocated to M/s Mahan Energen Ltd, which commenced coal production in May 2026. As informed by M/s MEL, afforestation is proposed over backfilled mined-out areas and Page 2 of 3overburden dumps by planting saplings at intervals of approximately 2.5 metres along the contours, with a plantation density of about 2,500 trees per hectare as per the EIA/EMP. The approved mine plan envisages plantation of approximately 60.30 lakh saplings over 2,412.11 hectares during the conceptual life of the mine, with an expected survival rate of 90%.

Further, under the approved Compensatory Afforestation (CA) Scheme, plantation of

16.80 lakh saplings over approximately 1,400 hectares has been envisaged. Towards implementation of the scheme, the allottee has procured 1,398.85 hectares of land in the districts of Agar Malwa, Shivpuri, Sagar and Raisen in Madhya Pradesh, which has been transferred and mutated in favour of the State Forest Department. Further, an amount of ₹108.33 crore, including supervision charges, has been deposited with the Madhya Pradesh CAMPA for implementation of the Compensatory Afforestation Scheme.

(e) Yes, environmental monitoring and mitigation technologies have been deployed at the

commercial coal mines in Singrauli to control air pollution and protect groundwater tables: • Groundwater Protection: Piezometers equipped with real-time telemetry systems have been installed at designated regional observation wells to continuously monitor groundwater levels and quality. Artificial recharge structures are being built for rainwater harvesting, and discharged mine water is routed through filtration plants for domestic and agricultural reuse by local communities, minimizing fresh groundwater draw.

• Air Pollution Control & Dust Suppression: Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations (CAAQMS) have been set up to track particulate matter (PM10, PM2.5) and gaseous emissions in real time. High-efficiency dust suppression systems, including fog cannons, mist and fixed sprinklers on haul roads, robotic nozzle water sprayers, and physical wind-barrier walls are operational.

• Mechanised Evacuation (First Mile Connectivity): Mechanised loading systems and covered conveyors are being developed to transition coal movement off rural roads, significantly reducing vehicular dust.

• Blast-free mining: The deployment of advanced Surface Miners has been prioritized to replace conventional drilling and blasting, drastically reducing particulate emissions and ground vibrations in the surrounding habitations.

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