Coal Mining

Centre wants states to take responsibility, check illegal coal mining

The Centre on Wednesday said it is the responsibility of state governments to stop all kinds of illegal coal mining, including rat-hole, underlining that it is working in close coordination with states to lower the number of accidents in coal fields. Asked about the recent accident and loss of lives at a coal mine in Assam where allegedly rat-hole mining was being carried out, Union Coal Minister G Kishan Reddy said in Lok Sabha that he has spoken to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on the matter. "It is the responsibility of the state government to check rat-hole mining," he said. Reddy said the Assam chief minister has conveyed to him that around 250 rat-hole mining sites have been closed down in the state and 12 people were arrested in this connection. Replying to another supplementary question on alleged illegal mining in Jharkhand, he said the state police and government have to act against it as it is their responsibility. Reddy said the central government has a zero ...

Additional incentives lined up for underground coal mine auctions

Coal secretary Vikram Dev Dutt said an incentivisation framework was at an advanced stage of discussion

Supreme Court dismisses Vedanta's plea against Goa iron ore mine e-auction

Following the Supreme Court's dismissal of Vedanta's plea, the Goa government is now set to proceed with the fresh e-auction process for the mineral block

SECL boosts pace of clearing mine overburden to increase coal output

Chhattisgarh-based coal producer SECL, an arm of Coal India, on Monday said it has increased the pace of clearing mine overburden to ramp up its output. In the current financial year from April till date, it removed 281 million cubic metres (MCuM) of overburden, registering a growth of 7.6 per cent year on year. Overburden removal (OBR) involves clearing of soil and rock layers from the surface of a mine to access coal reserves. OBR of South Eastern Coalfields Ltd (SECL) has "crossed 281 million cubic metres, achieving 105 per cent of its pro-rata target and recording 19.82 MCuM (7.58 per cent) increase compared to the same period last year", the public sector enterprise said in a statement. The company said it is removing over 1.3 million cubic metres of overburden daily. With this momentum, SECL is confident of surpassing its annual target and achieving an additional 40-45 million cubic metres of OBR, marking the highest-ever in the company's history. "Despite various challenges

Assam mining tragedy: Body of another labourer recovered from coal quarry

The body of another worker, who was trapped inside a coal mine in Assam's Dima Hasao district, was recovered on Saturday from the quarry during rescue operations, an official said. Two bodies have so far been recovered with the first one brought out from the mine on Wednesday, he said. The two deceased labourers were among nine workers who were trapped inside the mine in Umrangsu on Monday after a sudden gush of water flooded the quarry. "The rescue operations resumed this morning and one more body was recovered as the search for trapped miners entered its sixth day. The body of one labourer, hailing from Nepal, had already been recovered," the official said. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the rescue operations have been continuing with "unwavering resolve", and said the identity of the deceased has been ascertained. "The deceased has been identified as 27-year-old Ligen Magar, a resident of village number 1 of Kalamati in Dima Hasao," the official said. Magar's bo

12 miners trapped after explosion in Pakistan's coal mine, rescue ongoing

At least 12 miners were trapped in Pakistan on Thursday after an explosion caused a coal mine collapse in the southwestern province of Balochistan. The mishap occurred in the Sanjdi area outside the capital city of Quetta. Chief Mines Officer Abdul Ghani Baloch said that a gas explosion caused a coal mine in the Sanjdi area to collapse from the inside, the Dawn newspaper reported. Efforts are being made to pull all the miners out alive, he said. In an official statement, Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind said rescue teams had arrived at the site. There are reports of twelve workers being trapped in the mine, Rind added. Balochistan Minister for Mining and Minerals Mir Shoaib Noshirwani ordered Chief Mines Officer Baloch to send two more teams to participate in rescue operations. If prevailing mining procedures were violated, legal action should be taken against the mine owner, Noshirwani warned, ordering rescuers to expedite efforts to extract the trapped miners.

Coal ministry 'optimistic' about achieving production target of over 170 MT

The government on Saturday expressed optimism that it will achieve the production target of more than 170 million tonnes from captive and commercial coal blocks in the ongoing fiscal year. The production from captive, commercial mines from April 1 to November rose 33 per cent to 100.08 MT over 75.05 MT in the year-ago period, the coal ministry said in a statement. The total dispatch from captive, commercial coal mines during the period rose to 107.81 MT from 80.23 MT, it said. "The coal ministry is optimistic about reaching a production target of more than 170 million tonnes from captive and commercial coal blocks in 2024-25," the statement said. "The share of captive and commercial coal mines in India's total coal production has been steadily increasing, reflecting the success of reforms in the coal sector and strengthening the nation's path toward self-sufficiency in energy resources," it added.

JSW Steel, ACC, NMDC among 31 bidders in 10th commercial coal mine auction

JSW Steel, JSW Energy, ACC Ltd, NMDC Ltd, NTPC Mining Ltd and Jindal Steel and Power Ltd (JSPL) are among the 31 companies which have submitted bids for the tenth round of commercial coal mine auction. "A total of 31 companies have submitted their bids in the auction process," the coal ministry said in a statement. More than 10 new companies have participated for the first time under commercial coal mine auction. A total of 67 coal blocks were put up for sale in June under the tenth round of commercial mines auction. The government has received 44 bids for the 67 coal mines, the statement said. "The bids will be evaluated by a multi-disciplinary technical evaluation committee and technically qualified bidders will be shortlisted for participation in the electronic auction, to be conducted on MSTC portal," it added.

How long will people of Chhattisgarh remain poor: Min defends coal mining

Chhattisgarh Forest and Climate Change Minister Kedar Kashyap has defended coal mining and other developmental projects in the state, saying these are essential for improving the living standards of the people. In an interview with PTI, Kashyap also said that the state government will ensure strict implementation of the law in response to the Centre's recent directions to expedite the relocation of villages from core areas in tiger reserves. Asked about protests against tree felling for a coal project in the biodiversity-rich Hasdeo Aranya forest, the minister acknowledged that some people have opposed coal and other development projects but stressed that most have supported these. "How long will the people of this resource-rich region remain poor? Development and energy are equally important. People need jobs. Yes, if trees are cut, it is our responsibility to compensate for that loss. We must also ensure that the health and livelihoods of affected communities are protected," he ..

NTPC registers 3.9% growth in power generation, 16% in coal mining

The company's mining arm, NTPC Mining, produced 19 million tonnes (MT) of coal during H1FY25, registering a growth of 20 per cent year-on-year

SC upholds ED's summons against TMC leader Abhishek, wife in coal case

In a setback to TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee and his wife Rujira Banerjee, the Supreme Court on Monday dismissed their pleas challenging the summons and proceedings initiated against them by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case related to alleged illegal excavation and theft of coal in areas of Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL). A bench of Justices Bela M Trivedi and Satish Chandra Sharma upheld the validity of the summons issued by the ED dated September 10, 2021, to the couple under Section 50 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) asking them to appear in New Delhi office in connection with the case. "In that view of the matter, we do not find any substance in the challenge made by the appellants to the summons issued to the appellants under Section 50 of the PMLA," the bench ordered. It said that as contemplated in the sub-section (3) of Section 50, all the persons summoned are bound to attend in person or through authorised agents as the officer may .

Coal import rises 5% to 52 MT in Apr-May; demand likely to fall in monsoon

India's coal import rose 5.3 per cent to 52.29 million tonnes (MT) in the first two months of the ongoing fiscal as against the year-ago period. The country's coal import was 49.62 MT in April and May in FY24, according to data compiled by mjunction services ltd -- a B2B e-commerce platform from a joint venture between Tata Steel and SAIL. However, coal import in May dropped marginally to 26.19 MT, from 26.57 MT a year earlier. "Coal imports... were down 1.43 per cent as against 26.57 MT imported in May 2023," it said. According to mjunction MD and CEO Vinaya Varma, the demand for imports is likely to remain subdued in the coming weeks due to the onset of monsoon while the production growth should stay healthy in the domestic market. Also, coking coal prices are expected to move up in the seaborne market due to supply tightness and this may impact buyers' interest in the country. Of the total imports in May, non-coking coal imports stood at 17.53 MT, against 18.10 MT imported in

State-run Coal India's production rises by 8% to 189 MT in first quarter

State-owned CIL's coal production rose 8 per cent to 189.3 million tonne (MT) in the first quarter of the ongoing financial year. The company's coal output was 175.5 MT in April-June period of the previous fiscal. "Moving past the target of 189.2 MT, CIL achieved 100 per cent satisfaction in Q1 of the current fiscal year," Coal India Ltd (CIL) said in a statement. While all the seven producing subsidiaries of the coal behemoth achieved positive growth, five of them breached their respective targets. The company's production in June increased by 9 per cent to 63 MT, over 58 MT produced in June FY24. On the back of a strong production growth and increased coal loading, CIL's total supplies rose to 198.4 MT during April-June FY25 with 6 per cent year-on-year growth. The increase of 11.4 MT in absolute numbers came over a high base of 187 MT. At a time when power demand in the country is spiking, CIL's supply to coal-fired plants grew 4 per cent to 160 MT during the first quarter of

India's maiden critical mineral auctions: Who are the participants?

Among the five players who have won the bids, only Dalmia Bharat Refractories is affiliated with a major business group

Pralhad Joshi: From mining coal to building green energy and food security

Joshi is considered a trusted ally by MPs across parties and this has helped him push for coal reforms in states and get support from various departments such as railways and shipping

Sampling, grading of coal at 427 mines completed; to be applicable for FY24

The coal ministry on Wednesday said it has completed the annual exercise of sampling and grading of coal at 427 mines and the new fuel grade will be applicable from April 1 this year. Of the total 427 mines, 331 are central public sector units, 69 under state governments and 27 private sector mines, the coal ministry said in a statement. "To ensure the correctness of the grade, the samples drawn were analyzed in two different labs," it added. The ministry further said, the process of "declaration of annual grading of seams of mines as per laid down procedure has been completed" and the declared grade will be applicable with effect from April 1, 2024. The Coal Controller's Organisation (CCO), having its field offices at Dhanbad, Ranchi, Bilaspur, Nagpur, Sambalpur, and Kothagudem, carried out the exercise of drawing the coal samples and its analysis from coal and lignite mines for the ongoing financial year. CCO, a subordinate office of the coal ministry, lays down the procedure an

Coal minister Joshi launches coal logistics policy for infra development

The coal ministry is building an AI-powered dedicated logistics platform for the fossil fuel which would integrate all the existing central and state-level coal transport tracking systems

Gasification projects to help in economic development of coal regions: Govt

The government on Wednesday said that coal gasification projects will help in socio-economic development of coal bearing regions as well as in boosting the country's energy security. Addressing a road show here to promote coal/lignite gasification projects, additional secretary in the coal ministry M Nagaraju called for investments in technology towards a greener and cleaner future. This was the second road show organised by the coal ministry on coal and lignite gasification projects after the first one held in Hyderabad on February 16. The event here was attended by key stakeholders, including policy makers, EPC agencies, PMC consultants and. They discussed the opportunities and hurdles associated with coal and lignite gasification projects. According to an official release, the road show served as a platform to highlight the government's scheme for the promotion of coal/lignite gasification projects, emphasising their key role in India's energy landscape and economic ...

Coal production from captive, commercial mines likely at 187 MT in FY25

The government on Monday said that coal production from captive and commercial blocks is likely to be 186.63 Million Tonnes (MT) in the next fiscal. The production will be further enhanced to 225.69 MT in FY26, the coal ministry said in a statement. "As per the present plans of the ministry, production targets from such mines will be touching 383.56 million tonnes by FY 2029-30," the coal ministry said in a statement. In the 2024-25 fiscal, coal production from such mines is expected to rise to 186.63 MT, the government said. In December 2023, the total coal production from captive and commercial coal mines rose 38 per cent to 14.04 MT from 10.14 MT in the year-ago period, it said. As per the latest figures, 50 captive and commercial coal mines are in operation. The total coal production from captive and commercial coal mines in the April 1-December 31, 2023 period was 98 MT, as per the statement. In 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched the auction process for 41 coal

Tree cutting begins to expand coal mines in Chhattisgarh's Hasdeo Arand

Tree felling for Parsa East and Kete Basan (PEKB) phase-2 extension coal mines in the biodiversity-rich Hasdeo Arand region of Chhattisgarh's Surguja district has begun amid police security cover. Activists alleged police on Thursday detained those who were protesting against coal mining in the Hasdeo area. The Opposition Congress raised the issue in the state Assembly and accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government of favouring industrialists. The local administration claimed it had all the necessary permissions to go ahead with tree felling, while police officials said they had visited the residences of some locals to advise them not to create a law and order situation. Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai told reporters in the Assembly complex that he has received information about opposition by people (against deforestation) but no arrest has been made. The forest department started felling trees for PEKB phase 2 in Udaipur development block of Surguja district this (Thursday