Mining policy : changes are made

Today, it has been announced that the central government will not need to give approvals to states for mining except for mining coal, sand and nuclear minerals(like Uranium). The individual states will determine their own policies. The state of Goa had only mining as its main industry, and constantly needed centre's approvals. But now it is on its own. But now local politicians will determine which company gets which mine and transparency would be lost at the local level itself. In Karnataka state, it was found that a clan of politicians take all approvals in their hands; then government intervened and banned all mining activities. The new policy requires that the people on whose land mining is done have to give permission first. The people do not know the devastating impact of mining activity. And they can be easily persuaded by smooth talking business men  of mining firms.The new policy states that 26% of the profits from coal mining will go to the people who reside near the mines. These people can be cheated because, the firm always gives an under-estimate to avoid higher tax brackets.

For non-coal mines,equal amount as revenue will be given to local development. There should be tech-enabled audit to check how much mineral is mined and how this money is spent on the local development should be monitored constantly by the central government. And these activities should be made visible in public domain, so that everyone knows what is going on. Competitive bidding on line is recommended  by central government,but it is not compulsory for states to comply. This means the policy is  making room for non-transparent deals. Online registration for mining minerals, sale of minerals, transport of minerals and export of minerals should be done.This should be visible in the public domain too. And state governments do not have the expertise for this. To detect illegal mining operations satellite imaging  by government can be used and states do not have the technical know how for this either. Only central government has the monetary facility and expertise for these technical evaluations, and each state's government cannot spend individually for these facilities.So central government has to help and intervene in all regards.
The cost of revitalizing the land after the stripping the minerals of the land would be higher than the yields from the mines. There will be loss of environment for locals and big loss of livelihoods. For at least two generations people would have to live away from their lands as water-table would get contaminated.And while mining we have to allow the land to recuperate and we have spend exorbitantly to restore the land. We have to plant new trees and shrubbery and it will take a long long time to revitalize the land; erosion takes away the top soil and land becomes prone to floods. We have re-populate the area with native wildlife. And mass of people will be displaced, as the water table will be contaminated for a long long time by mining activity.Who will bear cost of the restoring the fertility of the land and the cost of displacement to locals which is a long process?The mining activity will make a boom town and then reduce it into a ghost town. The people and the land will suffer too much. What will be the benefit be? There will be over-export of the mineral of India's resource will be made at the cost of native people's livelihoods. People of the developed countries will take these minerals at a cheap price and it would be loss forever for our people. Foreign industries would get our minerals and develop themselves while Indian industries would be deprived. We are making way for giving away of valuable resources to foreign industries and cheating our people of their environment their heritage and their livelihoods. How can we stop this drain of our resources?By greater control and monitoring, by visualizing the data of loss, and weighing the pros and cons of export activity and appropriately make newer policies.