WCL has made one more giant stride towards sustainable mining and environmental protection by signing its fourth Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Maharashtra Bamboo Development Board (MBDB), Nagpur. The pact would help establish up a commercial bamboo plantation over 28 hectares at Dhuptala Opencast Mine (OCM) in Ballarpur Area, transforming reclaimed mine land into profitable green assets.
The MoU was signed by Dr Hemant Sharad Pande, CMD and Director (Technical), WCL and Shri Rishikesh Ranjan, Managing Director, MBDB in the presence of WCL’s senior officials. The relationship is a testament to WCL’s long-term ambition of blending commercial diversification with environmental sustainability.
With this latest endeavour, WCL’s total commercial bamboo planted area under WCL has crossed 121 Ha, after successful projects at Makardhokra-III OCM, Amalgamated Inder Kamptee OCM and Sasti OCM. The company continues to show how reclaimed mining sites can be transformed into environmentally and economically useful resources.
The Dhuptala project has 26 hectares of commercial bamboo and 2 hectares of indigenous tree species like Jamun and Arjun with total plantation of 31,108 saplings. As per the agreement, WCL will invest about ₹2.57 crore in the first five years and MBDB will be responsible for cultivation, maintenance, harvesting, marketing and sale of bamboo through a transparent method.
The project, projected to run for 15 years, is predicted to pay for itself in year eight. Under the agreed revenue sharing plan, WCL would get 85% of the net profit and MBDB will get 15% as facilitation charges, ensuring a viable non-coal income source apart from coal mining operations.
Apart from financial rewards, the project will also assist in carbon sequestration, soil protection, dust reduction, improvement of biodiversity and ecological restoration while creating employment possibilities for local communities and Project Affected Persons (PAPs). The project further reinforces WCL’s dedication to green mining and responsible resource management.
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