New Delhi Environment, public hearing rules may be eased Some relaxation in green norms for coal mining may be on the cards. Keen to step up coal output, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) will discuss on Friday options including an easing of environment and forest clearance norms for 13 Coal India projects besides relaxing the Forest Rights Act for the coal miner. The Act seeks to recognise and vest forest rights and occupation in forest-dwelling scheduled tribes and other traditional forest-dwellers living there for generations but whose rights could not be recorded. Experts say relaxation can happen only if the Act is amended. “This, however, should not happen because it seeks to protect forest-dwellers’ rights,” said NC Saxena, member, National Advisory Council. Besides extending environmental clearance to 13 Coal India projects to achieve 25% more production without insisting on public hearings, the crucial meeting is likely to discuss enhanced borehole density in forest areas without forest clearance. Currently, a forest clearance is required to conduct detailed exploration with borehole density of more than 1.5 per sq km. With increased borehole density, exploration would be more accurate as coal can be explored to greater depths. The meeting with officials from the ministries of coal, power and environment, among others, also assumes significance in the light of the fact that CIL is not in a position to supply even 65% of coal to power projects as slow clearances impact coal production in the country. At a meeting in the PMO earlier, it was agreed that CIL may reduce its coal commitment to 65% of annual coal requirement for first three years as against 80% agreed earlier for signing fuel supply agreement with power projects. Last fiscal, facing problems beyond its control as it battled forest and environment hurdles, Coal India produced only 436 million tonnes (mt), missing targets by about 15 mt. This year, it intends to produce 464 mt of coal but will need additional supplies to meet demand of power projects. Sources said the ministries concerned will also seek parallel processing of environment clearance and forest clearance proposals, something India Inc has been asking the environment ministry. The ministry itself is in favour of single-window clearance for both. This will reduce the chances of a project getting stalled mid-way due to forest related issues. Ironically, the PMO's policy push comes at a time when the environment ministry is looking at expanding the gamut of the “go-no go” areas for coal mining to the entire country and across all infrastructural and developmental projects. This is proposed to be done through a new categorisation of 'inviolate' areas being finalised by the ministry.