2013 · GS Paper 3 · Q19 · 10 marks
What are the consequences of Illegal mining? Discuss the Ministry of Environment and Forests' concept of GO AND NO GO zones for coal mining sector.
In short
Illegal mining destroys forests and landforms, drains the exchequer, dispossesses tribals and corrupts governance, while MoEF's Go and No-Go concept barred coal mining in dense forest blocks. Blocks with gross forest cover above 30 percent or weighted forest cover above 10 percent were classed No-Go, covering 203 of 602 coal blocks.
Model answer
Ghissu Editorial · Verified 4 Oct 2026 · 288 words
Ecological and fiscal loss
The Supreme Court noted in 2018 that 31 Aravalli hills in Rajasthan had vanished, and the Lokayukta estimated a ₹16,085 crore loss from illegal ore export from Bellary.
Social and governance harm
Tribals lose land and forest rights, pit workers face silicosis, and mafias corrupt officials, prompting the Supreme Court to halt Goa's mining in 2012 and order full compensation from Odisha miners in Common Cause (2017).
Concept and criteria
In 2009-10 the MoEF and the Coal Ministry mapped nine coalfields and classed blocks with gross forest cover above 30 percent or weighted cover above 10 percent as No-Go, putting 203 of 602 blocks out of bounds.
Dilution and legacy
Coal and power ministries argued it blocked energy security, a Group of Ministers relaxed it in 2011, and Hasdeo-Arand, once No-Go, later saw blocks cleared and mass protests in 2022, showing why a binding classification is still needed.
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Question from the official UPSC Civil Services (Main) Examination 2013 paper. Answer written by Ghissu's engine and checked against our editorial standards. Found an error? Tell us and we correct it within 48 hours.