How to preserve precious black soil?, Large areas of farmland in Tieling Diaobingshan have become waterlogged and depressed due to mining subsidence. Coal mining | Reclamation | Farmland

Tieling City, Liaoning Province is located in the "Golden Corn Belt" at 42 ° north latitude, with a vast area of black soil, and is known as the "granary of northern Liaoning". Recently, several villagers in Tieling Diaobingshan City reported to the Voice of China that over the past decade, the mining of surrounding coal mines has caused some farmland to settle, making it impossible for villagers to cultivate normally. The farmland has been extensively abandoned, including a large amount of basic farmland and high standard farmland.

In recent days, reporters have visited and investigated multiple administrative villages in the local area and found that the cultivated land around the village has varying degrees of settlement and waterlogging. The corn planted on these cultivated land is continuously lodging, with uneven height, making it difficult to ensure a harvest. Why has the precious black soil become in such a state? How can we preserve farmland as the lifeline of food production?

Basic farmland and high standard farmland are "injured"

Public information shows that Diaobingshan City is an emerging coal industry city and one of the top 100 county-level economies in China. During a visit to Wanjiafang Village in Xiaoming Town under its jurisdiction, the reporter found a white background red lettered sign with the words "Caichen District" standing on it.

On the south side of the village level road from Wanjiafang Village to Shuangshuzi Village, there is also a sign that reads "2019 High standard Farmland Construction Project in Xiaoming Town, Diaobingshan City, with a construction area of 3000 acres". Behind the sign, as far as the eye can see, there are obvious potholes and water accumulation, and the height of the corn is uneven.

Mr. Liu, who lives in Wanjiafang Village, established the "Family Farm" in 2014 due to his emphasis on the development prospects of the black soil in this area, and contracted over 1000 acres of arable land. At present, corn has entered the flowering and pollination period, and the growth of corn is not ideal in plots affected by coal mining subsidence.

"Before the field sinks, it is basically stable during drought and flood. After sinking, the water in the entire field accumulates inside and cannot be discharged."

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Farmland turning into wetlands, attracting birds to forage

At the junction of Wanjiafang Village North, Tuanjie Village South, and Shahousuo Village, the reporter saw several villagers repairing culverts for drainage channels. The accumulated water in the land needs to be drained in a timely manner. In areas with severe waterlogging, birds occasionally come to search for food.

In the corn field of Xindengjia Village in Xiaoming Town, there is a basic farmland marker monument erected by the Diaobingshan Municipal Government on August 6, 2011, which is marked with the words "Basic Farmland Protection Zone". The cultivated land around the monument has also been affected to varying degrees. The villagers working in the field told reporters that even if there may be no harvest, they are not willing to let the land be abandoned. "I cannot abandon the land, farmers cherish the land the most."

Around Xiaoming Town, Xiaonan Town, and Daming Town in Diaobingshan City, the reporter visited more than ten villages. The map shows that by circling the route for at least 20 kilometers, the cultivated land in this area has been affected to varying degrees, and there are even ponds in the fields that cannot be seen at a glance. The villagers introduced that the depth of this large pond has reached about 4 meters.

The mining company has compensation, but the villagers find it difficult to accept it

Tiefa Coal Industry Co., Ltd. is located in Diaobingshan City, and its subordinate mining areas are distributed near multiple administrative villages.

The Xiaonan Mine under Tiefa Coal Industry is located near Zhangzhuang Village, Xiaonan Town, Diaobingshan City. After entering the village, the reporter saw several villagers on the roadside carrying out weeding operations. A villager said that due to land subsidence, half of their over ten acres of land cannot be planted.

The reporter learned that the surrounding coal mines have been mining for decades, and even earlier in 2007, mining companies began to compensate farmers for the damaged farmland. Due to the increasing settlement year by year, the compensation standards have also been changing. Mr. Liu stated that in 2022, the compensation fee is 1120 yuan/mu.

"The local transfer of land costs 1200-1300 yuan per acre, along with production materials such as seeds and fertilizers, resulting in a cost of 1800-1900 yuan per acre. Last autumn, the coal mine compensated villagers with 1120 yuan per acre, resulting in a direct loss of several hundred yuan per acre. You invested 1800 yuan and gave you 1120 yuan. How can you improve your enthusiasm? Can it continue to develop?"

The effect of land reclamation is not satisfactory

The local area is also reclaiming the "injured" black soil, but the effect is not satisfactory. In the north of Wanjiafang Village in Xiaoming Town, the nearby Xiaoqing Coal Mine initiated a mining geology and land reclamation project in 2021.

According to the public information provided by Mr. Liu, the project scale is 313.76 acres, and the construction period is from October 20th to November 30th of that year. Mr. Liu said that there are still multiple areas of stagnant water like swamps in some reclaimed land, and the quality of reclamation is not high.

"A quarter of the more than 300 acres of reclaimed land can now be planted, while some areas have not met the standards, and some even have exposed soil layers and gangue."

Regarding the compensation standards for young crops and the quality of reclamation, the reporter consulted the petitioning office of Xiaoqing Coal Mine:

Staff: After the reclamation is completed, after all, the mine is seven to eight hundred meters above the ground and will sink further. After the reclamation, we will also compensate the villagers according to the "864" policy, with compensation of 80%, 60%, and 40% of the crop yield for the past three years.

Staff: Documents from the mining execution bureau. Not only Wanjiafang Village, but also the compensation standards of the entire Tieling City are implemented according to the unified documents of the bureau, and compensation is available for all subsidence areas.

Staff: Now there is reclamation. The area around Wanjiafang Village will undergo another round of reclamation this autumn. If there are any losses, it doesn't matter. We will compensate the young seedlings.

Staff: We are aware of it, and the village also knows that all within the scope of our Iron and Coal Group have the same standards.

Mr. Liu told reporters that they hope that the fields that have the conditions for reclamation can be reclaimed as soon as possible. "Currently, there is still a large part of the sunken land in our village that is suitable for reclamation. Our current demand is that after the coal mines reclaim the land that can be reclaimed, it can meet the planting conditions and be used to cultivate corn or rice."

Mineral resources and arable land resources are both important for Diaobingshan City. Located in the "Golden Corn Belt", precious black soil is experiencing subsidence, which is not only a problem of how to compensate farmers, but also a problem of how to preserve farmland, the lifeline of food production. How much arable land is affected by coal mining collapse in Diaobingshan City? Can land quality be restored through reclamation? Voice of China will continue to monitor.