USE OF VACATED MINES
The issues of decommissioning,
reclamation and rehabilitation of the mines after mining and mineral
processing operation was taken up in the Mineral Advisory Council
in September 2002 and a committee was constituted for suggesting
appropriate changes in prevailing rules.
The recommendations
of the Committee were considered in the conference of State Ministers
of Mining and Geology in January, 2003. As per the decision taken
in the conference appropriate changes have been made in Mineral
Concession Rules 1960 (MCR) and Mineral Conservation and Development
Rules, 1988 (MCDR) providing for mine closure scheme for reclamation
and rehabilitation of mine after cessation of mining and mineral
processing operation. The purpose of the scheme is to restore
land, to the extent feasible to its original condition so that
it could be put to normal use.
This information
was given by the Minister for Mines, Shri Ramesh Bais in a written
reply in the Lok Sabha today.
