Singareni keen on mechanisation

Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) is concentrating more on mechanisation to increase the production in its mines spread over the north Telangana region of the state.

The company is keen on relying on machines in the 55 underground mines and nine open cast mines for surpassing the existing annual production target of 376 lakh tonnes of coal using the 'Long Wall' system of China.

The mechanisation is necessitated in order to overcome the steep gradient in the existing underground units. The authorities concerned feel that the mechanisation would enable the company to produce one million tonnes of coal every year in the units spread across Khammam, Warangal, Adilabad and Karimnagar districts.

According to T Vasudeva Rao, SCCL director (operations), the company is preparing to deploy 100 side dumper loaders (SDL) and 36 load header dumpers (LHD) for improving the existing production network in the units.

The official, who inspected the man riding system works and SDL operations in the KTK1 unit, incline of Bhupalpalli unit in Warangal district, this week, said the mechanisation would not result in loss of jobs in the mining operations.

"The two SDLs being used in the KTK1 have resulted in an additional 600 tonnes of coal mining every day," he added. Rao further said the open cast mining operations were proving handy for achieving the targets in the region.

The official said the recent heavy rains had a serious impact on production and about four lakh tonnes of coal produce was curtailed in the mines where 88,000 miners work.

On the existing production division, he said the nine open cast units yielded 60 per cent of the 376 lakh tonnes of coal, while the underground mines produced the remaining 40 per cent.

He said the recent addition of three open cast units would certainly help SCCL exceed the previous production targets. Even in the Coal India units, the open cast production was on the higher side and 86 per cent of the produce was achieved in the units, he added.

The SCCL official said the company was keen on pressing into service 35 more man riding systems by the end of June this year in SCCL mines.

In the Bhupalpalli limits, the company was going ahead with the expansion activity in Ghanapur and Venkatapur areas, and four new units KTK7, KTK8, KTK8A and KTK 9 would be commissioned in the coming years, he added.

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IN THE PIPELINE

Company keen on relying on machines in the 55 underground mines and nine open cast mines for surpassing the existing annual production target

Prepares to deploy 100 side dumper loaders (SDL) and 36 load header dumpers (LHD) for improving the existing production network in the units