On 27 Feb’17, India’s Ministry of Mines has notified the draft rule named “The Mineral Conservation and Development Rules (MCDR), 2017” under section 18 of the MMDR Act, 1957.
Major highlights of the MCDR, 2017 are as follows:-
1. Applicability – These rules shall apply to all minerals except petroleum, natural gas, coal, lignite and sand for stowing and minor minerals.
2. Prospecting & mining operations – The prospecting and mining operations shall be carried out in such a manner so as to ensure systematic development of mineral deposits, conservation of minerals and protection of the environment.
3. Sustainable Mining – Every holder of a mining lease shall take all possible precautions for undertaking sustainable mining while conducting prospecting, mining, beneficiation or metallurgical operations in the area. The confirmation of the star rating may be done by the authorised officer of the Indian Bureau of Mines through inspection.
The Regional Controller or the authorised officer of the Indian Bureau of Mines may suspend the mining operations in those mines where at least four star rating has not been achieved within a period of two years from the date of notification of these rules or two years from the date of commencement of mining operations, as the case may be, after giving a show cause notice of forty-five days, to qualify for star rating.
4. Mines closure plan – Mines closure plans shall be of two types:-
(i) progressive mines closure and (ii) final mines closure
5. Monthly and annual returns – The holder of a mining lease, or any person or company engaged in trading or storage or end-use or export of minerals mined in the country, shall cause himself to be registered online with the Indian Bureau of Mines as per application specified in Form K of the Schedule and the registration number so allotted by the Indian Bureau of Mines shall be used for all purposes of online reporting and correspondence connected therewith.
(a) a daily return which shall be submitted through in electronic form through the application developed by the Indian Bureau of Mines, by 1800 hours of the third day following the day of reporting, which may be edited before the time deadline provided in this regard;
(b) a monthly return which shall be submitted before the tenth day of every month in respect of the preceding month in electronic form along with a signed print copy of the same if it is not digitally signed.
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