Jharkhand’s Magadh Coal Mine Wins Expansion Approval Amid Environmental Concerns

The Union Environment Ministry’s Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) has cleared the expansion of the controversial Magadh Opencast Project (MOP) in Jharkhand, despite the coal mine being entangled in multiple court cases over alleged forest land encroachment and environmental violations. The decision has reignited concerns over the growing trend of granting clearances to large industrial projects even as legal disputes remain unresolved.

Operated by Central Coalfields Limited (CCL) , a subsidiary of Coal India Limited, the Magadh mine is located across Jharkhand’s Chatra and Latehar districts and forms part of the strategically important North Karanpura coalfields , one of India’s largest coal-bearing regions.

The EAC approved the proposal to increase the mine’s production capacity from 20 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) to 24 MTPA , while reducing the mining lease area from 1,769 hectares to 1,598.71 hectares . The project involves 628.09 hectares of forest land , but only 276.04 hectares have received Stage-II forest clearance . The remaining 352.05 hectares are yet to secure final approval for diversion.

According to the minutes of the EAC meeting held on April 28 and 29, the committee acknowledged that the project is linked to 11 pending court cases filed between 2019 and 2025 under the Indian Forest Act, 1927 and the Indian Forest (Bihar Amendment) Act, 1989 . Eight cases are pending before the Latehar district court , while the remaining are before the Chatra district court .

The allegations include illegal clearing of nearly 10 hectares of forest land near railway siding infrastructure linked to the coal block, as well as the alleged destruction of around 25 hectares of forest area near Kundi village in Chatra district. Another case relates to alleged mining-related activity on forest land without final statutory approval.

During the proceedings, CCL argued that the violations were largely caused by discrepancies between old Cadastral Survey (CS) maps from the colonial era and updated Revisional Survey (RS) records. The company claimed unclear demarcation between forest and non-forest land led to “inadvertent” expansion of allied activities into disputed areas. It also informed the EAC that all activities on the concerned forest land have now been stopped.

Despite approving the expansion, the EAC imposed conditions, including installation of bamboo fencing and boundary pillars to prevent mining activities from entering forest areas. It also prohibited mining in the pending 352.05-hectare area until Stage-II forest clearance is granted.

Environmental experts, however, have criticised the move. Debadityo Sinha of the Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy said such approvals undermine the spirit of the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification, 2006 and create a “fait accompli” situation where companies proceed first and seek approvals later.

Notably, there is no publicly reported National Green Tribunal (NGT) order specifically clearing the Magadh expansion , leaving the project vulnerable to future legal challenges and continued environmental scrutiny.