Commercial Bamboo Plantation Project to be Developed on Overburden Dump of Sasti Open Cast Mine, Ballarpur Area
Western Coalfields Limited (WCL) has taken another significant step towards sustainable mining and environmental conservation by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Maharashtra Bamboo Development Board (MBDB), Nagpur, for undertaking a Commercial Bamboo Plantation Project on the overburden (OB) dump land of Sasti Open Cast Mine in Ballarpur Area.
The MoU was signed by Shri Anandji Prasad, Director (Technical/Operations), WCL, and Shri Kalyan Kumar, Managing Director, Maharashtra Bamboo Development Board, in the presence of Dr. Hemant Sharad Pande, Chairman-cum-Managing Director, WCL, Shri Bikram Ghosh, Director (Finance), WCL, and Shri Sandeep Paranjape, Director Technical (Projects & Planning), WCL. Senior officials and Heads of Departments were also present on the occasion.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Hemant Sharad Pande stated that WCL is not only committed to coal production but also to sustainable development and creation of a greener future. He emphasized that initiatives such as commercial bamboo plantations are excellent examples of productive post-mining land use, which contribute to environmental conservation while creating new economic opportunities for local communities.
According to the MoU, approximately 21,942 bamboo saplings will be planted over 19.75 hectares of Over Burden Dump at Sasti Open Cast Mine. WCL will invest around ₹1.33 crore during the initial five years of the project. The Maharashtra Bamboo Development Board will be responsible for bamboo cultivation, plantation development, irrigation, maintenance, harvesting, marketing, and sale of bamboo produce.
The agreement is for a period of 15 years under a transparent revenue-sharing model. As per the agreement, 85 percent of the net profit generated from the project will accrue to WCL, while 15 percent will be paid to MBDB as facilitation charges. The pay back period is expected by the seventh year.
Apart from financial returns, the initiative is expected to generate significant environmental and social benefits, including ecological restoration of reclaimed mining land, enhanced carbon sequestration, stabilization of OB dump slopes, dust suppression, development of green barriers, and employment generation for local communities and Project Affected Persons (PAPs).
This is the third MoU between WCL and the Maharashtra Bamboo Development Board for commercial bamboo plantation. Earlier, similar projects had been successfully launched over 30.635 hectares at Makardhokra-III Open Cast Mine, Umrer Area, and 43.045 hectares at Amalgamated Inder Kamptee Open Cast Mine, Nagpur Area.
👉 Click here to read the latest Gujarat news on TheLiveAhmedabad.com