Lok Sabha Question No. 2467 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-03-16
Subject: Unscientific Coal Mining
Ministry: COAL
Asked by: VIKRAM USENDI

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COAL LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2467

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 16 TH  MARCH, 2017

## Unscientific Coal Mining

## 2467. SHRI VIKRAM USENDI:

Will the Minister of COAL be pleased to state:

- (a) Whether  it  is  a  fact  that  vast  area  of  coal  mining  in  the  country  is  becoming dangerous due to unscientific methods used for coal mining;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the number of accidents reported in various coal mines in the country during the last three years and the current year;
- (d) Whether  the  Government  has  taken  remedial  measures  to  check  unscientific  coal mining in the country; and
- (e) If so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  (INDEPENDENT  CHARGE)  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  COAL, POWER, NEW AND RENEWABLEE ENERGY AND MINES (SHRI PIYUSH GOYAL)

(a)&(b): It is not a fact that vast area of coal mining in the country is becoming dangerous due  to  unscientific  methods  used  for  coal  mining.  However,  some  part  of  the  Jharia coalfield (JCF) and Raniganj coalfield (RCF) within the leasehold of Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL) & Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL) subsidiaries of Coal India Ltd (CIL) respectively are declared dangerous and susceptible to fire and subsidence because of the unscientific mining carried out by the erstwhile private mine owners prior to nationalization of the coal mines in the early 1970s.

(c) As reported by the Directorate General of Mines Safety (DGMS), the number of accidents reported in various coal mines in the country during the last three years and the current year are as under:

|      | Number of Accidents   | Number of Accidents   |
|------|-----------------------|-----------------------|
| Year | Fatal                 | Serious               |
| 2014 | 59                    | 379                   |
| 2015 | 53                    | 283                   |
| 2016 | 70                    | 257                   |
| 2017 | 4                     | 16                    |

Data up to 31.01.2017.  Data for the year 2016 & 2017 are provisional .

(d)&(e):  The  following  remedial  measures  have  been  taken  to  check  unscientific  coal mining in the country:

- 1.0  Safety,  welfare  and  health  of  workers  employed  in  mines  are  regulated  by  the Mines  Act,  1952  and  the  Rules  and  Regulations  framed  thereunder.  These  are administered  by  the  Directorate-General  of  Mines  Safety  (DGMS),  under  the Ministry of Labour & Employment.

In  order  to  ensure  that  the  mine  workers  are  provided  with  adequate  safety measures while working in the mines, officers of DGMS undertake inspections of mines and take following measures:

-  Pointing out contraventions
-  Withdrawal of permission
-  Issue of improvement notices
-  Prohibition of employment
-  Informal stoppages
-  Prosecution in the court of law

2.0 The following additional measures are also taken by DGMS:

- (i) To  promote  and  propagate  safety  awareness  in  mines,  National  Safety  Awards (Mines),  National  Conference  on  Safety  in  Mines  is  organized  by  DGMS.  The recommendations of National Conference on Safety in Mines go a long way in enhancing safety of mine workers.
- (ii) Workers participation and sensitization in matters of safety are ensured through training  in  safety  and  by  initiatives  like  celebration  of  safety  week  and  safety campaigns, etc.
- (iii) Safety training programmes are organized among Managers and Supervisors for improving safety standards in mines.
- (iv) Facilitates  introduction  of  Risk  Assessment  Techniques  aimed  at  elimination  of risks and to ensure safety of workmen.
- (v) Facilitates introduction of standard operating procedures to avoid unsafe practices in mines.
- (vi) Time to time, DGMS Circulars are issued as guidelines for safer operations.

In addition to above, the following steps are also being taken to avoid unscientific mining and recurrence of accidents and to improve safety in coal mines.

- (i) Safety audit of all the coalmines has been taken up.
- (ii) Strengthening of Internal Safety Organisations (ISO) in coalmines/coal companies.

(iii)  CIL has taken up a training programme with Safety in Mines Testing and Research Station (SIMTARS) of Govt of Queensland, Australia for training of trainers.

(iv) A  special  safety  awareness  campaign  has  been  launched  to  increase  awareness  of mine workers. i.e., 'Safety is My Responsibility' and steps have been taken to propagate the same.

(v) Risk based inspection system through Shram Suvidha Portal has been implemented for coal mines and for metal mines is under progress.

(vi) Adoption of online safety monitoring systems,  establishment of geo-technical cells, installation of gas chromatographs for monitoring and analysing underground mine gases, installation  of  proximity  warning  devices  to  avoid  collision  of  heavy  earth  moving machinery,  environmental  tele-monitoring  systems  in  all  degree-III  gassy  mines,  slope monitoring  systems  for  overburden  benches  and  OB  dumps  etc.  are  some  of  the  other important  steps  taken  by  coal  companies  for  improving  safety  of  miners  and  mining operations in the coal mines.

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