Coal Mining:

Write methods of coal minig and safty measure?

The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and, since
the 1880s, has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for
extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. The Industrial Revolution, which began in
Britain in the 18th century, and later spread to continental Europe and North America, was based on the
availability of coal to power steam engines. International trade expanded exponentially when coalfed
steam engines were built for the railways and steamships
Methods of extraction
The most economical method of coal extraction from coal seams depends on the depth and quality of the
seams, and the geology and environmental factors. Coal mining processes are differentiated by whether
they operate on the surface or underground.
1.surface mining-depth less than approximately 180feet(50m)
2.deep mining-depths of 180 to 300 feet (50 to 100 m)
Modern surface mining
When coal seams are near the surface, it may be economical to extract the coal using open cut (also
referred to as open cast, open pit, or strip) mining methods. Open cast coal mining recovers a greater
proportion of the coal deposit than underground methods, as more of the coal seams in the strata may be
exploited.
Strip mining
Strip mining exposes coal by removing earth above each coal seam. This earth is referred to as
overburden and is removed in long strips. The overburden from the first strip is deposited in an area
outside the planned mining area and referred to as out of pit dumping. Overburden from subsequent strips
are deposited in the void left from mining the coal and overburden from the previous strip. This is
referred to as inpit dumping.
Contour mining
The contour mining method consists of removing overburden from the seam in a pattern following the
contours along a ridge or around the hillside. This method is most commonly used in areas with rolling to
steep terrain. It was once common to deposit the spoil on the downslope side of the bench thus created,
but this method of spoil disposal consumed much additional land and created severe landslide and erosion
problems.
Production
Coal is mined commercially in over 50 countries. Over 7,036 Mt/yr of hard coal is
currently produced, a substantial increase over the past 25 years.
Coal production has grown fastest in Asia, while Europe has declined. The top coal
mining nations
1.china(3075Mt)
2.USA(973Mt)
3.India(557Mt)
Safety
Dangers to miners
Open cut hazards are principally mine wall failures and vehicle collisions underground mining hazards
include suffocation, gas poisoning, roof collapse, rock burst, outbursts, and gas explosions Chronic lung
diseases, such as pneumoconiosis (black lung) were once common in miners, leading to reduced life
expectancy. In some mining countries black lung is still common
Environmental impacts
Coal mining can result in a number of adverse effects on the environment.
Surface mining of coal completely eliminates existing vegetation, destroys the genetic soil profile,
displaces or destroys wildlife and habitat, degrades air quality, alters current land uses, and to some extent
permanently changes the generaltopography of the area mined
Write notes about coal production in india?
Coal mining in india
Coal mining in India has a long history of commercial exploitation covering nearly 220 years starting in
1774 with John Sumner and Suetonius Grant Heatly of the East India Company in the Raniganj Coalfield
along the Western bank of Damodar river. At the beginning of the 1st Plan, annual production went up to
33 million metric tons (36 million short tons). During the 1st Plan period itself, the need for increasing
coal production efficiently by systematic and scientificdevelopment of the coal industry was being felt.
Setting up of the National CoalDevelopment Corporation (NCDC), a Government of India Undertaking in
1956with the collieries owned by the railways as its nucleus was the first major step towards planned
development of Indian Coal Industry. Along with the Singareni Collieries Company Ltd. (SCCL)
whichwas already in operation since 1945 and which became a Government company under the control of
Government of Andhra Pradesh in 1956, India thus had two Government coal companies in the fifties.
SCCL is now a joint undertaking of Government of Telangana and Government of India sharing its equity
in 51:49 ratio.

Top coal producing states in india

1. Odisha 2. Chhattisgarh 3.Jharkhand
Other notable coalmining areas include:
1. Singareni collieries in Khammam district, Telangana
2. Jharia mines in Dhanbad district, Jharkhand
3. Nagpur & Chandrapur district, Maharashtra
4. Raniganj in Bardhaman district, West Bengal
5. Neyveli lignite mines in Cuddalore district, Tamil Nadu
6. Singrauli Coalfield and Umaria Coalfield in Madhya Pradesh
Nationalisation of coal mining:Unscientific mining practices adopted by some of them and
poor working conditions of labor in some of the private coalmines became matters of concern for
the Government. On account of these reasons, the Central Government took a decision to
nationalize the private coal mines.
1.First Phase coking coal -1971 to 72
2.second phase non coking coal -1973

1. Coking Coal Mines (Emergency Provisions) Act, 1971-taking over in public interest of
the management of coking coal mines and nationalisation of cokeoven plant
2.Coking Coal Mines (Nationalization) Act, 1972- coking coal mines and the coke oven
plants other than those with the Tata Iron & Steel Company Limited and Indian Iron& Steel
Company Limited, were nationalized on May 1, 1972 and brought under the Bharat Coking Coal
Limited (BCCL), a new Central Government Undertaking.
3.all non coking were nationalizied in 1973 and come under coal mine authority of india.
Special provision for north east states:
The North East Indian states enjoys special privileges under constitution of India. The Sixth
Schedule of constitution and article 371 of constitution allows state governments to formulate its
own policy in order to recognize customary tribal laws.For example, Nagaland has its own
coal policy which allows its natives to mine coal from their respective lands. Similarly,
coal mining in Meghalaya was rampant till imposition of ban on coal mining by National Green
Tribunal. The Nagaland Coal and Meghalaya Coal has large buyers in North India, Central India
and Eastern India.
coal auction:
In august 2014,The Supreme Court pulled up the Centre on coal block allocations and declared
all 218 allocations made from 1993 to 2011 illegal and arbitrary.

In december 2014, cabinet committee approves coal ordinance.According to ordinance,

will facilitate e-auction of coal blocks to private companies for captive use and allot mines directly to
PSUs.