Lok Sabha Question No. 357 (STARRED), answered on 2017-08-10
Subject: Vertical Mining
Ministry: MINES
Asked by: BHARAT SINGH, MANSHANKAR NINAMA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF MINES

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.357

TO BE ANSWERED ON 10.08.2017

## VERTICAL MINING

## *357.   SHRI BHARAT SINGH:

## SHRI MANSHANKAR NINAMA:

Will the Minister of MINES be pleased to state:

- (a) whether numerous incidents of landslide have taken place in the country due to vertical mining during the last five years and if so, the details thereof along with the casualties reported as a result thereof, if any, location-wise;
- (b) the measures taken by the Government for the prevention of such accidents;
- (c) whether  any  restrictions  have  been  imposed  on  vertical  mining  and  if  so,  the  details thereof;
- (d) whether there are any international guidelines in this regard and if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) whether the policies of the Government are in concurrence with the said guidelines and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR POWER, COAL, NEW & RENEWABLE ENERGY AND MINES (SHRI PIYUSH GOYAL)

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

## STATEMENT  REFERRED  IN  REPLY  TO  LOK  SABHA  STARRED  QUESTION NO.357  REGARDING  VERTICAL  MINING  ASKED  BY  SHRI  BHARAT  SINGH AND SHRI MANSHANKAR NINAMA FOR ANSWER ON 10.08.2017

(a): As per the information of the Directorate General of Mines Safety (DGMS), Ministry of Labour & Employment, Government of India, there have been few landslides/ slope failures in mines in the country. The details of these occurrences along with reported casualties, in last five years, are as under:

| Name &address of the mine                                          | Name of the owner                    | Date/ Year of occurrence   | Cause of landslide/ slope failure                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          | Casualt ies   |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------|----------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------|
| Bharatpur OCM, Angul, Odisha                                       | M/s Mahanadi Coalfields Limited      | 21.04.2013                 | 55m high overburden dump side- casted by dragline against coal rib collapsed over a length of 150m causing fall of about 90,000m 3 rock mass inflicting fatal injury to surface miner operator and serious bodily injury to the supervisor.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                | 1             |
| Dhanpuri OCM, Shahdol, Madhya Pradesh                              | M/s South Eastern Coalfields Limited | 01.07.2014                 | While recovering a submerged dumper from waterlogged opencast project, a portion of backfilled overburden measuring 54m (length) X 14m (width) slided into the water, burying two(2) persons under the muck pile.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          | 2             |
| Khadia OCM, Sonebhadra, Uttar Pradesh                              | M/s Northern Coalfields Limited      | 13.05.2015                 | Internal dragline overburden dump failed over a length of 130m resulting burying of 2 dozers, 1 excavator &1 rope shovel.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  | Nil           |
| Amalgamated Konar Khasmahal Opencast mine [OCM], Bokaro, Jharkhand | M/s Central Coalfields Limited       | 06.03.2016                 | Top over burden bench of 10m high for a length of 35m collapsed from a height of 28m due to local hidden slip of circular shape.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           | Nil           |
| Rajmahal OCM, Godda, Jharkhand                                     | M/s Eastern Coalfields Limited       | 29.12.2016                 | Contractual workers and machineries were deployed to form benches in dumped over burden, in-situ overburden and coal in an opencast mine containing known geological disturbances; cracks developed due to dead weight of dumped over burden, deep hole blasting and repeated plying of Heavy Earth Moving Machines [HEMMs], resulting into violent failure of in-situ over burden and coal benches, followed by instant sliding of dump in an area of 720m x 366m burying 23 workers along with 18 HEMMs. | 23            |

(b):  The measures taken for prevention of such accidents are:

-  Primarily, the owner, agent, manager and other statutory persons appointed at the mine are required to comply with the provisions of the statute i.e. Mines Act, 1952 and the subordinate legislations made thereunder.
-  The  officers  of  DGMS  oversee  the  status  of  compliance  of  the  statute  by  regular inspection of the mines.
-  To prevent  re-occurrence  of  such  accidents,  DGMS  issues  technical  circulars  to  the mining industry suggesting preventive measures to be taken.

(c):  In order to ensure safety of the workers in the mines, adequate provisions have been made under  the  Mines  Act,  1952,  the  subordinate  legislations  and  the  orders  made  thereunder [available  on  the  website  of  DGMS  i.e.  www.dgms.gov.in].  Regulation  106(1)(a)  and 106(2)(a) of the Metalliferous Mines Regulations, 1961 made under the Mines Act, 1952, has specific stipulations regarding the permissible height and width of the benches and slope of the sides in opencast working.

(d) & (e): The guidelines to avoid landslides/slope failure due to vertical mining are specific to the  geo-technical  parameters  of  the  mine  and  the  provisions  of  the  Act  and  subordinate legislations are in consonance with the international practice.

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