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Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock with a high amount of carbon
and hydrocarbons.
Coal is classified as a nonrenewable energy source because it takes millions of years to
form. Coal contains the energy stored by plants that lived hundreds of millions of years ago in
swampy forests.
Coal is also called black gold.
Coal contains carbon, volatile matter, moisture, and ash & [in some
cases Sulphur and phosphorous].
Mostly used for power generation and metallurgy.
Different varieties of coal arise because of differences in the kinds of plant material (coal
type), degree of coalification (coal rank), and range of impurities (coal grade).
Gondwana Coalfields
Gondwana coal makes up to 98% of the total coal reserves in India and 99% of the coal
production in India.
Gondwana coal is free from moisture and contains phosphorus and sulphur
The carbon content in Gondwana coal is less compared to the Carboniferous coal(that is 350
million years old which is almost absent in India because of its much younger age).
Gondwana coal forms India’s metallurgical grade as well as superior quality coal.
The Damuda series (i.e. Lower Gondwana) possesses the best-worked coalfields accounting for
80 percent of the total coal production in India.
80 out of 113 Indian coalfields are located in the rock systems of the Damuda
series[named after Damodar river].
These basins occur in the valleys of certain rivers viz., the Damodar (Jharkhand-West Bengal);
the Mahanadi (Chhattisgarh-Odisha); the Son (Madhya Pradesh Jharkhand); the Godavari and
the Wardha (Maharashtra-Andhra Pradesh); the Indravati, the Narmada, the Koel, the Panch,
the Kanhan and many more.
The volatile compounds and ash (usually 13 – 30 percent) and don’t allow Carbon percentage to
rise above 55 to 60 percent.
Anthracite
This is the best quality of coal and contains 80 to 95 percent carbon. It has very little volatile
matter and a negligibly small proportion of moisture.
It is very hard, compact, jet black coal having semi-metallic lustre.
It has the highest heating value and is the most prized among all the varieties of coal
In India, it is found only in Jammu and Kashmir (in Kalakot) and that too in small quantities.
Bituminous
This is the most widely used coal. It varies greatly in composition in carbon content (from 60 to
80 percent) and moisture. It is dense, compact, and is usually of black colour.
It does not have traces of original vegetable material from which it has been formed.
Its calorific value is very high due to high proportion of carbon and low moisture content.
By virtue of this quality, bituminous coal is used not only for steam raising and heating
purposes but also for the production of coke and gas.
Most of the bituminous coal is found in Jharkhand, Orissa, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, and
Madhya Pradesh.
Lignite
Peat
This is the first stage of transformation of wood into coal and contains less than 40 to 55
percent carbon, sufficient volatile matter, and a lot of moisture.
It is seldom sufficiently compact to make a good fuel without compressing into bricks. Left to
itself, it bums like wood, gives less heat, emits more smoke, and leaves a lot of ash after
burning.
Distribution of Coal in India
Jharkhand:
Most of the coalfields are located in a narrow belt running in the east-west direction almost
along the 24°N latitude.
The Jharia coalfield: The Jharia coalfield lies to the southwest of Dhanbad city and covers an
area of 453 sq km. It is one of the oldest and the richest coal fields of India and has been
recognized as the storehouse of the best metallurgical coal in the country.
The Bokaro coalfield: The Bokaro coalfield in Hazaribagh district lies within 32 km of the
western end of the Jharia coalfield.
Other reserves: Girdih, Karanpura, etc.
Chhattisgarh:
Chhattisgarh holds the third position with respect to coal reserves but occupies the second
position, after Jharkhand, so far as production is concerned.
The Korba coalfield: The Korba coalfield stretches over an area of 515 sq km in the valleys of
Hasdo (a tributary of the Mahanadi) and its tributaries (Ahram and Kurang) in Korba district.
Other coalfields: Hasdo-Arand, Chirmiri, Jhilmili, Johila.
Orissa:
Maharashtra:
Though Maharashtra has only 3 percent reserves, the state accounts for over 9 percent of the
production of coal in India.
Most of the coal deposits are found in the Kamptee coalfields in Nagpur District; Wardha
valley, Ghughus, Ballarpur, and Warora in Chandrapur district and the Wun field in Yavatmal
district.
West Bengal:
Although West Bengal produces only 6 percent of India’s coal, the state has over 11 percent of
the coal reserves of the country.
Burdwan, Bankura, Purulia, Birbhum, Darjeeling, and Jalpaiguri are the chief producing
districts.
Raniganj is the largest coalfield of West Bengal.
Tertiary Coal
Tertiary coal fields mainly occur in association with limestone and slates of either Eocene or
Oligocene-Miocene age (15 to 60 million years).
They are mainly confined to extra peninsular regions. some of which are:
Assam:
Meghalaya:
Garo, Khasi, and Jaintia hills are believed to have deposits of tertiary coal belonging to the
lower Eocene.
Arunachal Pradesh:
The Upper Assam Coal belt extends eastwards as NamchickNamrup coalfield in the Tirap
district of Arunachal Pradesh.
Other coal fields are in Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.
Lignite
There was a phenomenal increase in the production of lignite coal after independence.
Areas of lignite production are as follows:
Tamil Nadu accounts for 90 percent of the reserves and about 71 percent of the
production of lignite in India. The Neyveli Lignite fields of the Cuddalore district,
extending over an area of 480 sq km, have estimated reserves of 4,150 million tonnes
are the most important lignite field of India. The other lignite reserves of considerable
importance in Tamil Nadu are those of Jayamkondacholapuram of Trichy district,
Mannargudi, and East of Veeranam.
Gujarat: Lignite occurs in Kuchchh district at Umarsar, Lefsi, Jhalrai, and Baranda and
also in Bharuch district.
Jammu and Kashmir: Lignite deposits belonging to Pliocene or even a newer age have
been found here in sufficient quantity. The main lignite fields occur in the Shaliganga
River, continuing to the northwest up to the Nichahom area in the Handwara region of
the Baramula district. The lignite here is of poor quality.
Kerala, Rajasthan, West Bengal, and Pondicherry also produce some amount of lignite
coal.
Peat
Peat is confined to a few areas only. It occurs in Nilgiri hills at an elevation of over 1,800 m.
In the Kashmir valley, peat occurs in the alluvium of the Jhelum and in swampy grounds in
higher valleys.
In West Bengal peat beds at depths ranging from 2 to 11 metre have been noted in Kolkata and
its suburbs.
In the Ganga delta, there are layers of peat which are composed of forest and rice plants.
Conservation of coal
Conservation of coal implies that every bit of energy that can be obtained from coal must be
obtained and every bit of by-product that can be recovered must be recovered. Conservation of
coal is an integral part of mine planning and operation.
Following measures are suggested for the conservation of coal in India.
Coking coal should be used for the metallurgical industry only.
Low-grade coal should be washed and blended with superior quality coal in requisite
proportion and used in industries.
Selective mining should be discouraged and all possible coal from the mines should be
taken out.
New reserves should be discovered and new techniques should be adopted.
Small and uneconomic collieries should be amalgamated and be made economically
viable units.
5. MADHYA
25.67 8.51
PRADESH
6. ANDHRA
22.48 7.45
PRADESH
Chhattisgarh
Odisha
Madhya Pradesh
Jharkhand
Andhra Pradesh
Chhattisgarh
Jharkhand
Odisha
Madhya Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
BOKARO:
In Hazaribagh district lies within 32 km of the western end of the Jharia coal field
Long but narrow strip in the catchment area of the Bokaro River
Divided into West Bokaro and East Bokaro
GIRIDIH :
Also known as Karharbari, lies to the southwest of Girdih in the Hazaribagh district
Has three main seams of varying thicknesses- lower Karharbari, upper Karharbari, Badhua
Lower Karharbari gives one of the finest coking coals in India.
KARANPURA :
Lies to the west of Bokaro in Jharkhand has two sections- North Karanpura and South Karanpura
Total resurve – 1059 million tonner
Coal is believed to be of inferior quality
According to ONGC, these fields have good reserves of coal-bed methane (CBM)
RAMGARH :
DALTENGANJ :
KORBA :
BISRAMPUR :
HASDO-ARAND :
CHIRMIRI :
Lies in the Sarguja district of Chhattisgarh, in the northern part of the state
Area- 128 sq km
Reserves – 362 million tonnes.
TATAPANI–RAMKOTA :
Lies between Kanhar and Rehar in the north – eastern part of the Sarguja district of Chhattisgarh
Coals of Tatapani coalfields belong to the Damuda series.
JHILMILI :
JOHILLA :
Lies the Johilla Valley, a tributary of the Son, in the northwestern part of Chhattisgarh.
SONHAT :
Lies in the Surguja region of Chhattisgarh
Has high quality coal.
TALCHER :
IB RIVER :
RAMPUR-HIMGIR :
SINGRAULI :
JHINGURDA :
With a total thickness of 131 m is the richest coal seam of the country
It is a seam of the Singrauli coal field
Supplies coal to thermal plants at Singrauli and Obra.
SOHAGPUR :
UMARIA :
SINGARENI :
KOTHAGUNDAM :
RANIGANJ :
The largest coal field of West Bangal, is the continuation of Jharia in Jharkhand
Coal mining started in India at Raniganj in 1774
It produces mainly non-coking steam coal, mainly used for power generation.
MAKUM :
NAZIRA :
Located in Assam
Produces the tertiary coal
Part of the Upper Assam coal belt
Northern flank of the Naga Patkai ranges facing Sibsagar.
LAKHUNI :
Located in Assam
Produces the tertiary coal
Part of the Upper Assam coal belt.
NAMCHICK NAMPHUK :
KALAKOT :
NICHAHOM :
Lignite coalfield located in Nandwara region of Baramula district of Jammu and Kashmir
Poor quality lignite
Reserve in the region-90 million tonnes.
UMARSAR :
PALANA :
NEYVELI :
Jayamkondacholapuram