NEW DELHI: Coal India Limited (CIL) is in the process of converting its abandoned mines into eco-parks which have become popular as ecotourism destinations. These ecoparks and tourism sites are also proving to be a source of livelihood for local populace.
Thirty such eco-parks are already attracting steady footfalls and plans are afoot for the creation of more eco parks and eco-restoration sites in CIL’s mining areas.
Some of the popular destinations that provide further fillip to coal mine tourism include Gunjanpark, ECL, Gokul eco-cultural park, BCCL, Kenapara eco-tourism site and AnanyaVatika, SECL, Krishnashila eco restoration site and Mudwani eco-parks, NCL, Ananta medicinal garden, MCL, BalGangadharTilakeco park, WCL and Chandra Sekhar Azad eco park, CCL.
“No one could have predicted that an abandoned mined-out land could be transformed into a buzzing tourism destination. We are enjoying boating, the beautiful waterbody with the adjoining greenery and having lunch on a floating restaurant,” said a visitor at Kenapara eco-tourism site developed by SECL in Surajpur district, Chhattisgarh. “Kenapara has promising tourism potential and is also a good source of income for the tribal people,” the visitor added.
CIL is also using new techniques like seed ball plantation, seed casting through drones and Miyawaki plantation in its various mines. Mined out areas, overburden dumps etc are concurrently reclaimed as soon as they get delinked from the active mining zones. Various species for biological reclamation are selected in consultation with central and stateaided expert agencies. Monitoring of land reclamation and restoration is being done through remote sensing and as of now around 33% area is under green cover.
