New Delhi: Coal India Limited (CIL) is converting its abandoned mines into eco-parks into popular ecotourism destinations. These eco-tourism sites are providing livelihood to the local people. Thirty eco-parks are already functional and are attracting footfalls. Coal India Limited (CIL) has plans to create more such eco-parks and eco-restoration sites in their mining areas.

Few popular destinations that are providing a boost to coal mine tourism include Gunjanpark, ECL, Gokul eco-cultural park, BCCL, Kenapara eco-tourism site and Ananya Vatika, SECL, Krishnashila eco-restoration site and Mudwani eco-parks, NCL, Ananta medical garden, MCL, Bal Gangadhar Tilak eco-park, WCL and Chandra Sekhar Azad eco-park, CCL.

A visitor at Kenapara eco-tourism site developed by SECL in Suriapur district, Chhatisgrah said that no one could have imagined that an abandoned mined-out land could be transformed into such a beautiful tourism destination. Besides being a tourism destination, it is also proving to be a good source of income for the tribal people.

The Mudwani eco-parks developed by NCL in Jayantarea of Singrauli district of Madhya Pradesh have a beautiful landscaped front and pathways. One of the visitors of the park said that the Mudwani eco-park is proving to be a major tourist destination due to its beautiful landscape and other recreational activities.

CIL is working towards increasing the green cover. It has already surpassed its annual plantation target of 1510 hectares by expanding its green cover to 1610 hectares during 2022-23. It has planted over 30 lakh saplings in the current fiscal.

Coal India Limited is using new techniques like seed ball plantation, seed casting through drones and Miyawaki plantation in its various mines. Monitoring of land reclamation and restoration is being done through remote sensing and as of now around 33 per cent area is under green cover. /BI/