Guwahati: The Ministry of Coal is seeking the support and assistance of the World Bank, GIZ, and other global institutions for the repurposing of abandoned mine sites to make them safe, environmentally stable, and suitable for appropriate commercial use.

According to a statement released by the coal ministry, reclaimed lands will be repurposed for economic purposes such as solar parks, tourism, sports, forestry, agriculture, horticulture, townships, and so on.

"The vast experience of these institutions in dealing with mine closure cases in various countries will be extremely beneficial and will facilitate the adoption of best global practices in the repurposing of Indian coal mine sites."

Coal India Ltd (CIL) has undertaken conservation of coal mine pit lakes, maintenance of the ecological character of wetlands, and inclusion of such pit lakes in the prestigious Ramsar List as part of various sustainable activities, with the assistance of respective State Governments and the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEFCC).

The suitability of coal mine pit lakes for Ramsar List inclusion was discussed with MoEFCC, the nodal Ministry for identifying wetlands for Ramsar List inclusion.

CIL has identified five pit lakes in the states of West Bengal, Odisha, Jharkhand, and Madhya Pradesh for consideration of inclusion in the Ramsar list, based on MoEFCC guidance. CIL is currently preparing the Ramsar Information Sheet (RIS). These mine pit water bodies are frequented by various bird species and have an avifauna population. The environment around these bodies of water has improved as a result of CIL's efforts through the large-scale plantation and other soil moisture conservation activities.