Impact of Singareni Coal Mines in Sustaining and Enhancing the Herpetofaunal Assemblage in the Eastern Ghats of Lankapally Reserve Forest of Sathupally Forest Range in Khammam District, Telangana State

Abstract

Mining has an effect on biodiversity and the environment throughout the life of a project, both directly and indirectly. These impacts from mining can result from any activity that involves land/forest clearance or direct discharges to water bodies or the air. Despite the significant potential for negative impacts on biodiversity/wildlife from mining operations, there are many opportunities for a mining company to enhance wildlife conservation within their areas of operations. In general, the mining companies, under their regulatory requirements, focus less on protecting and enhancing the environment/biodiversity/wildlife. However, Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) has been continuously adopting new and scientific approaches to managing biodiversity/wildlife as part of its commitment to establishing and maintaining the ecological balance, especially in Sathupally, where two opencast mines were established in 2005 and 2018 by diverting the forest lands of around 1400 hectares in Lankapally Reserve Forest under the CAMPA scheme. The over-burden (OB) plantations and conservation zones developed by SCCL, the CAMPA plantations developed in the Degraded Forest Lands (DFL) within 5kms from the mine boundaries by the Sathupally Forest Range with SCCL funds are now the new home range for the impacted herpetofauna population due to mining operations.