GUWAHATI: The Assam government is keen to establish the state as a sustainable and environmentally clean source of coal for relevant industries, Chief Secretary Ravi Kota said on Thursday.
Kota made this statement while reviewing coal projects in the state with P M Prasad, Chairman and Managing Director of Coal India Limited (CIL).
He added that the state government is exploring ways to maximise the exploration and utilisation of coal resources.
The aim is to accelerate economic growth, reduce coal imports, and generate employment, Kota said during the review of ongoing projects of North East Coalfields India Limited (NECIL) with Prasad.
“To achieve this, coordinated action between the revenue and disaster management, environment and forest, and mines and mineral departments of Assam with NECIL will be undertaken. The increased production of coal will not only meet the requirements of state-based industries but also significantly increase revenue to the state exchequer,” Kota was quoted as saying by a national news agency.
A delegation of senior CIL officials, led by Prasad, met with the chief secretary to discuss these initiatives.
Currently, one coal mine in the Margherita sub-division of Tinsukia district, under NECIL, is actively extracting coal with an annual production of two lakh metric tonnes.
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This production is expected to increase to three lakh tonnes per annum soon, with efforts underway to expand this to 15 lakh tonnes (1.5 million tonnes) per annum, he further informed.
Additionally, the chief secretary highlighted improving the livelihood of the mining workforce through targeted CSR activities.
Coal India authorities are encouraged to identify schools and hospitals in mining areas and work on infrastructural development wherever required.
However, amidst these developmental plans, two miners from Meghalaya reportedly died due to gas poisoning in a coal mine in Assam’s Tinsukia district, recently.
The miners, found unconscious in the Dharna Basti area of Ledo Pahar on the evening of July 1, were allegedly involved in illegal rat-hole mining operations managed by a local businessman.
This incident follows closely on the heels of a previous mining tragedy on May 25, when a landslide at a mining site in the Patkai Hills of eastern Assam’s Tinsukia district claimed three lives.
As Assam aims for sustainable coal development, these tragedies highlight the need for stringent safety measures and regulations.
