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The study by Delhi-based think tank International Forum for Environment, Sustainability and Technology (iFOREST) presented a comprehensive assessment of the state’s transformation prospects in coal mining and power, steel, automobile and other key industries.
“More than 11,000 hectares of land is immediately available from closed and non-operational coal mines. Overall, about 45,000 hectares of land can be planned to be reused over the next 5-10 years, providing a huge opportunity to repurpose mined land for green investments such as renewable energy, green manufacturing, logistics and allied activities, supporting economic diversification and job creation in coal-dependent districts. Will do.”
With accumulation of cumulative District Mineral Foundation (DMF) It said that at a cost of Rs 16,977 crore, Jharkhand has a huge opportunity to finance transition-aligned investments including livelihood diversification, skilling and other welfare activities in coal districts in the early stages.
The study highlights the state’s strategic importance in India’s low-carbon growth path, while also emphasizing coal transition as a major opportunity for green investment and job creation if planned early.
“As about 60% of the mines are approaching transition due to exhaustion of mineable reserves and declining economic viability, systematic re-use of land associated with these mines over the next decade could open up additional land parcels on a large scale, especially in districts like Dhanbad, Bokaro and Ramgarh,” it said.
The study said Jharkhand has an estimated 77 GW of renewable energy potential and recommended environmentally responsible expansion using reclaimed mining lands, industrial wastelands and water bodies for floating solar supported by public sector utilities like DVC in old coal fields.
The steel sector and its value chain represents another huge opportunity, it said, adding that with about 12% of India’s crude steel capacity, Jharkhand is in a leading position in the adoption of green steel and green hydrogen.
It said a phased shift to low-carbon steel pathways, driven by companies like Tata Steel and SAIL, could enable early pilots, scale up green hydrogen and create jobs across the value chain.
The Jamshedpur-Adityapur auto cluster, Jharkhand, could also emerge as a leader in the EV transition in eastern India, the study said.
“By repurposing land and energy assets, the state can attract green investment and create jobs in transition districts, so that local communities can benefit from this transition. The state is already creating an enabling environment to promote industry investment through simplified permitting processes,” said Shrestha Banerjee, Director of Just Transition and Climate Change at iFOREST.
State Forest and Environment Secretary Abubakar Siddiqui said land is an important resource for any economic development.
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He said, “For Jharkhand, this is an important opportunity to support and re-use the mined land. Apart from supporting green growth, we will need to consider climate mainstreaming and transformation across various economic sectors and also allocate the state budget accordingly.”
Central Coalfields Limited CMD Nilendu Kumar Singh said that mining is not going to stop in the next 30-40 years.
“So, we have time to plan. But this plan needs to make the right choices by reusing land based on local opportunities, knowledge and skills, so that people can move naturally. For the coal industry, it is also important to use clean coal and move towards green mining and transportation practices to reduce emissions.”
State Labor Secretary Jitendra Kumar Singh said the energy transition is actually a livelihood transition, and Jharkhand is taking measures through ITIs and skill development societies.
The study identifies eight priority districts, Dhanbad, Bokaro, Ramgarh, Chatra, Hazaribagh, Saraikela-Kharsawan, East Singhbhum and West Singhbhum, as transition hotspots over the next decade.
“About 32% of Jharkhand’s revenue comes from fossil fuels, so the impact will be significant,” it said.
Ajay Kumar Rastogi, chairman of the State Taskforce on Sustainable Just Transition, said the main challenge is to make changes to informal workers and the broader ecosystem.
“This requires education and alternative livelihoods,” he said.