NEW DELHI (Commodity Online): Exploration and enrichment of renewable energy sources such as coal mines are progressing in the country, said Prakash Jaiswal, Indian’s Junior Minister of Home Affairs with independent charge for statistics and program implementation.

Replying in the Parliament, the Minister said that a master plan dealing with fire, subsidence, rehabilitation and diversion of surface infrastructure in Jharia and Raniganj coalfields has been approved by the government in August 2009.

The plan estimated at Rs. 9657.61 crore is for these coal fields with a lease hold of Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL) and Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL), he sadi.

Estimated amount for Jharia coalfields is Rs. 7028.40 Crore and that for Raniganj is Rs. 2679 Crore. The estimates however exclude Rs. 111.23 crore sanctioned earlier for various schemes under Environmental Measures and Subsidence Control (EMSC), the Minister added.



When asked about the quality and shortage of coal in the power sector, Jaiwal admitted that coal produced in the country was largely lower grades because the coal deposits in the country inherently contained high ash due to Drift origin.

Most of the power houses in India also therefore were designed for use of indigenous high ash coal; he added.

The Minister also informed that during 2008-09 the percentage of coal produced from underground mines was 12 per cent and from open cast mines was 88 per cent. He also informed that Central Mine Planning and Design Institute (CMPDI) was entrusted to prepare an action plan for modernization of its existing mines, in consultation with subsidiaries.

The Minister further informed the house that seven high capacity green-field mines were identified for development by the state of the art technology with private-public partnership on risk-gain sharing basis.

Similarly, eighteen abandoned mines with estimated reserves of 1600 million tones of high quality coking coal and thermal coal were also identified for development under joint venture arrangements; he added.

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