Lok Sabha Question No. 4360 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-03-21
Subject: Deployment of Surface Miners
Ministry: COAL
Asked by: P.R. SUNDARAM, RAJEEV SHANKARRAO SATAV, DHANANJAY BHIMRAO MAHADIK, JAYAKUMAR JAYAVARDHAN, VIJAYSINH MOHITE PATIL, SUPRIYA SADANAND SULE, HEENA VIJAYKUMAR GAVIT

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COAL

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4360

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 21.03.2018

## Deployment of Surface Miners

4360. SHRI P.R. SUNDARAM:

SHRI SATAV RAJEEV:

SHRI DHANANJAY MAHADIK:

DR. J. JAYAVARDHAN:

SHRI MOHITE PATIL VIJAYSINH SHANKARRAO:

SHRIMATI SUPRIYA SULE:

DR. HEENA VIJAYKUMAR GAVIT:

Will the Minister of COAL be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the surface miners are deployed by Coal India Limited (CIL) for selective mining at some of the open cast mines;
- (b)  if  so,  the  total  raw  coal  production  from  open  cast  mines  and  percentage  of  open  cast production by surface miners from the mines of CIL during the last three years and the current year;
- (c) whether efforts are also being made to iron out the differences over third party sampling and if so, the details thereof and result yielded therefrom;
- (d)  whether any decision has been taken with regard to standard operating procedure for third party sampling of coal at the mine end; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF RAILWAYS AND COAL (SHRI PIYUSH GOYAL)

( a)&(b): At present, 19 departmental & 81 hired Surface miners are in operation in the mines of Coal India Ltd. (CIL). The year wise production during the last three years and the current year till Jan-18 is as under:

|   SL | YEAR                        |   PRODUCTION FROM SMs (Mt.) |   TOTAL OPEN CAST PRODUCTION FOR THE YEAR(Mt.) |   %OFTOTALOPENCAST PRODUCTION |
|------|-----------------------------|-----------------------------|------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------|
|    1 | 2014-15                     |                      197.91 |                                         459.2  |                         43.1  |
|    2 | 2015-16                     |                      233.84 |                                         504.97 |                         46.31 |
|    3 | 2016-17                     |                      255.87 |                                         522.66 |                         48.96 |
|    4 | 2017-18 (Till JAN-18,Prov.) |                      212.33 |                                         415.91 |                         51.05 |

Surface miners for selective mining of coal are being deployed in opencast coal mines of CIL based on their geo-mining and techno-economic viabilities.

- (c):       When there is difference between Third party sampling analysis result and the analysis result of Coal  Companies  part  of  the  same  sample  analyzed  in  mine  end  lab,  the  Referee  sample is  referred for analysis  in  designated  Government  referee  labs.  As  per  provision  of  Fuel  Supply  Agreement, the result of referee analysis is binding on both seller and purchaser. During the period 2017-18, out of total referee analysis reports received till date there is variation in 63% of results from the results originally given  by  third  party  agency.  Out  of  these  variation  in  results,  referee  labs  have  reported  higher  Gross Calorific Value (GCV) than the GCV reported by the Third Party Agency in 87% cases.

(d)&(e): The following Standard Operating Procedure have been formulated for third Party Sampling at the Loading End -

- (i)      An  independent  Third  Party  Agency  to  be  appointed  by  Central  Institute  of  Mining  and  Fuel Research (CIMFR) by a transparent process for undertaking the work of sampling and analysis of coal at the loading end on behalf of both the power plant (consumer) and the coal companies (supplier).
- (ii)   The CIMFR shall enlist third party agencies through a transparent process for the work of sampling and analysis of coal.
- (iii)  The authorized representatives of power plant and coal company shall jointly witness the process of sample collection and preparation of the laboratory samples. The representatives shall put their signature on the sample tags in evidence of the process of sampling. All three - independent sampler, consumer and supplier - shall also sign on the samples register maintained by the coal company at the loading end.
- (iv)  The samples shall be collected and prepared by the third party agency independent sampler as perBIS norms. Collection  of  samples to be ensured within free time for loading of rakes.
- (v)   The fee for independent sampling agency shall be equally borne by both the coal company (supplier) and the power utility (consumer).
- (vi)   The  coal  companies  shall  provide  adequate  enabling  conditions  for  collection,  preparation  and storage of coal samples at the loading end.
- (vii) The final laboratory sample shall be divided into 4 (four) parts. Part-I of the sample is for analysis by the  independent  Third  Party  Agency  at  a  government  laboratory  or  NABL  Accredited  laboratory  as appointed by CIMFR through a transparent process. Part-2 and Part-3 of the sample are to be handed over to the coal company and the power utility, respectively for their own analysis. Part-4 of the sample, called Referee sample, shall be sealed jointly by the third party agency, representatives of the coal company and the power plant and shall be kept with the Third Party Agency under proper lock and key arrangement. The Referee sample shall be preserved for a period of 30 days from the date of sample collection.
- (viii) Mere absence of or failure of participation by any representative of either party despite prior notice shall not be a ground to negate the sampling process undertaken.
- (ix)  The Third Party Agency shall communicate the Analysis Results of the sample within 18 (eighteen) working days of the sample collection to the coal company and the power plant.
- (x)     The  coal  company  or  the  power  plant  may  raise  dispute,  if  any,  within 07 (seven)  days  of  the submission of the result by the Third Party.
- (xi) In case of dispute raised within the stipulated time period, the Referee sample shall be analyzed by a government laboratory.
- (xii) The persons engaged by third party agency should take proper training at Vocational Training Centre and obtain certificate for complying with the statutory provisions of Mines Act.