The State Government has issued fresh guidelines for survey of coal blocks to determine the areas allotted to different companies.
The Odisha Space Application Centre (ORSAC) will carry out survey of each coal block through differential global positioning system (DGPS) and electronic total station (ETS) to determine the actual boundary including preparation of cadastral-based geo-referenced maps of the coal blocks.
The survey will be one of the guiding factors for grant of mining lease (ML) or prospecting licence (PL), said an office order of the Steel and Mines Department.
The Government direction came shortly after physical verification of boundaries of iron ore and manganese mines. The Government had ordered fresh boundary survey of iron ore mines following objections by almost all lessees who appeared before the Justice MB Shah Commission of inquiry to the DGPS map prepared by the Government for determination of boundary of mining areas.
Coal blocks where demarcation has already been carried out prior to the issue of these guidelines are to be taken up first for verification by ORSAC.
Block boundary of coal blocks where demarcation has been completed by adopting conventional survey procedure will be verified through DGPS survey by ORSAC and such verified coal block boundary will be considered as final and frozen. The survey will be carried out in the presence of representatives of concerned coal block allottees, Central Mine Planning and Design Institute (CMPDI), Deputy Director of mines and Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) and Tehsildar concerned. Allottees of coal blocks having common boundary will also be notified to remain present during field demarcation.
Forest block, if any, occurring within the coal block boundary will also be demarcated on the ground with posting of pillars.
According to the guidelines, all coal block allottees should apply to ORSAC for preparation of digital geo-referenced block boundary map. The coal block allotment order of the Ministry of Coal and CMPDI certified coal block map also need to be submitted. The allottee has to bear all the expenses associated with the DGPS survey and preparation of digital geo-referenced block map as per estimates submitted by ORSAC. ORSAC will draw up a coal block wise survey schedule and communicate it to CMPDI, Director of Mines and others.
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