By Our Staff Reporter
Dehradun, 29 Oct: Forest Research Institute (FRI), in collaboration with Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL), Dhanbad, organised a webinar on ‘Restoration of Degraded Lands’. The Chief Guest, Arun Singh Rawat, Director General, ICFRE, and Director, FRI, Dehradun, inaugurated the webinar. JP Gupta, Director, Technical (Project & Planning), South Eastern Coal Limited (SECL), Bilaspur, and Bharat Coking Coal Limited, Dhanbad, addressed the gathering as Guest of Honour.
Rawat, in his inaugural address, highlighted the association of FRI with BCCL and the important initiatives taken by the FRI for mined-out areas. The Forest Research Institute has successfully restored mined overburdens in BCCL Dhanbad and NCL Singrauli.
JP Gupta shared his knowledge and experience of coal mines and prospects of eco-restoration in mined areas. Ranjeev Kumar, GM & Head, Environment Division, described the progress of biological reclamation in BCCL. He explained the activities carried out by BCCL to restore about 250 h.a. of mined area.
N Bala, Scientist-G, FRI, delivered a talk on experiences of restoring degraded areas. Dr A Karthikeyan, Scientist – F, Institute of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding, Coimbatore, presented his work on reclamation of mined-out lands using beneficial microbes. Dr Prashanta Hazarika, ACTO, Rain Forest Research Institute, Jorhat, spoke on integrated biological approach to restore coal mine degraded lands. Dr VP Panwar, Head, Forest Ecology and Climate Change Division, FRI, while anchoring the event, informed the house about various works done by the division on eco-restoration of degraded lands.
Raj Kumar, Chief Manager, Harish Kumar, Assistant Manager, BCCL Dhanbad, General Managers of Mining, Civil and Environment departments of BCCL, HoDs of different divisions, and scientists and staff of Forest Ecology and Climate Change Division were present at the webinar. The programme ended with a vote of thanks proposed by Dr Tara Chand, Course Coordinator.
