Environmental News from India:
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 percent without requiring new impact assessments, and rules on consulting local residents have been loosened, according to a government note.
The changes came after the coal ministry flagged “huge pressure on domestic coal supply,” the message said.
Coal supplies at power plants are shrinking amid a grueling heat wave that’s pushed electricity demand to a record in recent weeks, with several facilities operating with critical reserves of the fuel, power ministry data show.
Blackouts and curbs on supply to some industries have prompted street protests.
Fuel accounts for more than 70 percent of India’s electricity generation, and the country’s coal mining and transportation infrastructure is failing to keep pace with rising demand.
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Source: Alarabiya NEWS