The Arunachal Pradesh government has approved a 30-year mining lease for the Namchik-Namphuk coal mines in Kharsang, Changlang district, to Coal Pulz Pvt Ltd, a Guwahati-based company. These coal mines were part of India’s largest tranche of commercial coal mine auctions in November 2022, involving 28 other coal blocks. Mining is expected to start soon with an approved production target of 2 lakh tonnes per annum, generating royalty revenue for the state.
The Namchik-Namphuk coalfields have an estimated 15 million tonnes of coal, spread over 133.65 hectares in a forested and ecologically sensitive region. Earlier mining (2007-2012) covered 39.02 hectares and extracted around 10 lakh metric tonnes before being suspended in 2012 due to violations and security concerns. Initially allocated to the Arunachal Pradesh Mineral Development & Trading Corporation Ltd (APMDTCL) in 2003, the project faced multiple delays, scrutiny, and allegations of illegal mining, especially after attempts to revive it post-2014.
In June 2025, the Arunachal government requested the transfer of forest clearance from the APMDTCL to Coal Pulz, paving the way for private sector entry into large-scale coal mining in Northeast India.
As the mining area lies in a reserved forest, forest and environmental clearances have been secured from the union and state Environment Ministries under the Forest Conservation Act, 1980. However, mining in a reserved forest will have its consequences, as it will invariably lead to habitat loss for wildlife, threatening biodiversity in an ecologically sensitive region due to large-scale deforestation and land degradation.