India Eases Green Rules for Coal Mines to Tackle Fuel Crisis
Exemptions will allow some sites to expand production more than planned without new consultations.
Workers load coal at a wholesale market in Mumbai.
Photographer: Dhiraj Singh/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
India has eased environment approvals for coal mine expansions to boost output amid fuel shortages that have triggered hours-long blackouts.
Some existing sites will be able to raise production by a further 10% without requiring new impact assessments and rules on consulting local residents have been loosened, according to a government note. The changes come after the coal ministry flagged “huge pressure on domestic coal supply,” the message said.