PSUs Surpass Environmental Restoration Targets, Planting Trees Across 2,711 Hectares Amidst Transparency and Sustainability Concern
NEW DELHI (India CSR): In a significant environmental push, Coal and Lignite Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) have successfully planted more than 53.48 million saplings between January 2023 and November 2023, covering an expansive area of 2,711 hectares, as highlighted in the Annual Report 2023-24. This initiative is part of an ongoing effort to enhance sustainability and ecological restoration in areas affected by mining activities.
Impressive Cumulative Achievements
Since the fiscal year 2019-20, Coal and Lignite PSUs have achieved a cumulative plantation area of 10,735 hectares, planting a total of 234.52 million saplings. This remarkable effort has doubled the target and achievements of plantation activities since 2019, marking a significant stride towards environmental commitment.
Adherence to ACA Guidelines
Aligning with the Accredited Compensatory Afforestation (ACA) guidelines, these PSUs have also identified 3,003 hectares of decoaled afforested land to create an ACA land bank. This strategic move is designed to facilitate future coal mining projects while ensuring compliance with environmental restoration mandates.
Sustainability Concern: Lack of Disclosure on Tree Removal
While the planting campaign is a commendable step towards environmental stewardship, there is a glaring lack of transparency as the company has not disclosed the number of trees cut down during the same period. This omission is particularly concerning because it obscures the net environmental impact of their operations. The absence of such critical information undermines the credibility of the PSU’s environmental initiatives and raises serious questions about the true ecological cost of their activities.
Environmental Impact and Sustainability
This extensive tree-planting effort is expected to significantly boost biodiversity, improve air quality, and stabilize the soil, which are crucial for the sustainability of the environments surrounding mining areas. However, the omission of details on tree removals has prompted calls for greater transparency to fully assess the environmental contributions of these PSUs.
(India CSR)
