Lok Sabha Question No. 235 (STARRED), answered on 2018-01-03
Subject: Coal Reserves
Ministry: COAL
Asked by: SUDHEER GUPTA, KUNWAR HARIBANSH SINGH

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COAL LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION No. 235 TO BE ANSWERED ON 03.01.2018

## Coal Reserves

## *235.  SHRI SUDHEER GUPTA: KUNWAR HARIBANSH SINGH:

Will the Minister of COAL be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has any estimate of the total requirement of coal for the country in the next decade and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the country has enough coal reserve to meet the requirement for  the  said  period  and if so, the total  estimated coal  reserves in the country at present;
- (c) whether the Government has identified the places where frequent coal thefts/pilferages take place during transportation;
- (d) if  so,  the  details  of  such  places  along  with  the  corrective  measures taken/being taken by the Government in this regard; and
- (e) the  other  steps  taken/  being  taken  by  the  Government  to  prevent wastage of coal in various manner and preserve the same for the next generation?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF RAILWAYS AND COAL

## (SHRI PIYUSH GOYAL)

(a)to(e): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

STATEMENT  IN  REPLY  TO  STARRED  QUESTION  NO.  235  (15TH POSITION)  ANSWERED  ON  03/01/2018  ASKED  BY  SHRI  SUDHEER GUPTA  AND  KUNWAR  HARINABSH  SINGH  M.Ps.  REGARDING  COAL RESERVES.

(a): As  per  the  Report  of  the  Working  Group  on  Coal  &  Lignite  for formulation  of 12 th   Five  Year  Plan  (2012-17),  the  total  coal  demand projection was assessed at 1373 MT for 2021-22.

(b): As  per  'The  inventory  of  Geological  Resources  of  Indian  Coal',  as  on 01.04.2017 the total estimated quantum of coal reserves in the country is 315.149 billion tonnes. At present rate of exploitation, coal reserves will last for considerable period.

(c): As per available information, theft/pilferage of coal, if any, is carried out stealthily  and  clandestinely.  As  such,  it  is  not  possible  to  specify  where frequent coal thefts/pilferages take place during transportation.

(d): Measures taken to check theft/pilferages inter-alia include:

- (i) The coal is being transported through identified fixed route where check posts are provided enroute and manned by CISF at many places.
- (ii) Global positioning system (GPS) based vehicle tracking system of trucks with  geo-fencing  has  been  implemented  for  coal  transportation  to  prevent pilferage/diversion of coal through trucks.
- (iii) To prevent coal theft / pilferage in coal loaded trucks on the way, strict vigil is being maintained and also day / night patrolling is being carried out.
- (iv) In case of coal transferred and coal received involving two Collieries, the quantity is accepted only after weighment (in majority cases) and at the end of  the  month,  Managers/Agents  of  both  the  Collieries  sign  coal  transfer statement.

(v) All despatches to outside parties is weighed.

- (vi)  Radio  Frequency  Identification  (RFID)  based  boom  barriers  have  been installed  at  weigh  bridges  to  identify  illegal  trucks  carrying  coal.  Weigh bridges have been connected to COALNET to capture and monitor weight of the coal carrying vehicles to eliminate human intervention.

(vii) CCTV camera have been installed at all vulnerable points like entry/exit gate, weigh bridges, sidings etc. to keep a regular watch.

- ( e): Conservation of Coal is an important area. Mines are designed to work the  coal  seams  either  through  opencast  or  through  underground  methods depending on the technical feasibility and economic viability in such a way that  conservation  of  coal  is  given  due  importance  right  from  the  planning stage and maximum recovery is ensured during the implementation stage.

In underground (UG) mines, introduction of new technologies like Longwall method, Shortwall method, Highwall mining and Continuous Miner technology have resulted in increased percentage of extraction.

With the improvement in roof support technology with mechanized bolting with resin capsules, it has been possible to maintain wider gallery span and extract  seams  under  bad  roof  conditions  more  efficiently  resulting  in improved conservation of Coal.

Sand stowing in underground mines is yet another effective means of coal conservation,  which  is  widely  in  use  for  extraction  of  coal  pillars  from underground  coal  seams  lying  below  built-up  areas,  such  as  important surface structures, railway lines, rivers, nallahs, etc. which otherwise would have  resulted  in  locking  of  coal  in  pillars.  Stowing  also  helps  in  the extraction  of  thick  seams  in  several  lifts  increasing  the  percentage  of extraction.

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