Ahmedabad, June 6 (IANS). Adani Enterprises Limited (AEL) has planted more than 16 lakh trees and saplings on 568 hectares of land in the Parsa East and Kanta Basan (PEKB) mine area located in Surguja district of Chhattisgarh, turning the entire area into a green landscape.
The area which was once an active mining site has now been transformed into a lush natural environment. Under the ecological restoration programme, 40 new trees are being planted to replace every tree removed for mining.
Trees of local species like Sal, Mahua, Tendu, Amaltas and Sidha have been replanted. According to the company, the survival rate of the planted saplings has been around 88 percent.
Adani Enterprises operates the mine as developer and operator for Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Limited (RVUNL).
According to officials, the company’s green development project has shown that land can be redeveloped and regenerated even after coal mining is complete. The company aims to plant more than 40 lakh trees here by the end of this decade.
Adani Group has also developed a nursery in an area of 3.5 hectares, which has around 5 lakh saplings. Along with this, successful regeneration of Sal forests has also been done in the area.
According to officials, the company has undertaken compensatory afforestation in an area of more than 4,000 hectares in Surguja, Koriya, Balrampur and Surajpur forest divisions. Apart from this, an amount of more than Rs 259 crore has been deposited with the Government of Chhattisgarh for afforestation, wildlife management and other environmental measures.
The Coal Ministry, in a post on social media platform
“The Parsa East and Kanta Basan (PEKB) mine located in Surguja, Chhattisgarh is a shining example of this commitment. This once active mining area has today transformed into a lush green landscape, demonstrating that responsible mining and environmental protection can go hand in hand,” the ministry said.
The ministry said that today the PEKB mine is a living example of the fact that even after the mine is closed, the area can be developed towards a green and sustainable future.
–IANS
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