Environmental dilutions, soaring coal production reveal gap in India’s energy transition: CPI MP

“The reply given by the Minister of Coal in the Rajya Sabha to a question raised by CPI MP PP Suneer has clearly exposed the government’s oft-repeated claims of transitioning towards renewable energy,” the CPI Parliamentary Party Office said in a statement.

It stated that while the minister asserts that the new allocation process under the Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Act has been beneficial, the only evidence offered is the rise in coal production, from 12.34 MT in 2015–16 to 155.02 MT in 2024–25.

“Such an exponential increase cannot be simplistically attributed to a change in procedure. Coal output is influenced by multiple factors including demand trends, technological advancements, infrastructural expansion and pricing reforms,” it said.

The statement further noted that by reducing a complex sectoral outcome to a single administrative shift, the government has sidestepped on meaningful policy evaluation.

Moreover, the sharp rise in coal production over the past decade starkly contradicts the Prime Minister’s repeated assertions about India strengthening its renewable energy share.

The Left party said that instead of moving towards cleaner sources, the country’s energy mix is becoming more deeply locked into fossil fuels, revealing the widening gap between announcements and actual direction.

“This trend also hints towards policies favouring corporate houses at the cost of forest-cover, sustainability and livelihoods of millions of tribals in the country, who predominantly reside where such mines are situated,” it said, adding, “The Minister’s reply also confirms that a series of signicant environmental relaxations have been introduced for coal mining.”

These include permitting mine expansions of up to 50 per cent without a fresh public hearing; delegating clearance of projects below 500 hectares to State-level authorities; extending the validity of environmental clearances to match the duration of mining leases; integrating Consent to Establish into the EC process; fast-tracking underground mining proposals through standardised Terms of Reference; and exempting Underground Coal Gasication projects from the requirement of environmental clearance, the statement noted.

The party said that each of these steps weakens environmental oversight and reduces the participation of aected communities. “Equally concerning is the Ministry’s inability or unwillingness to disclose the number of trees felled for mines allocated under the Act.”

The CPI Parliamentary Party Office also claimed that despite acknowledging that mining projects require forest clearances and periodic permissions from State Forest Departments, the government has not shared any consolidated data on tree loss or biodiversity impacts.

“This lack of transparency raises serious questions at a time when forest ecosystems are under increasing pressure from extractive activity,” it added.

In response to the Minister’s answer, CPI MP PP Suneer has demanded an independent assessment of the post-2015 coal mine allocation framework; full disclosure of forest diversion and tree-felling data; immediate withdrawal of environmentally harmful relaxations; and a credible, time-bound roadmap to reduce coal dependence while strengthening India’s transition to renewable energy.