Lok Sabha Question No. 3527 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-01-02
Subject: Cave-in Areas in Coal Mining
Ministry: COAL
Asked by: HARI NARAYAN RAJBHAR

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COAL

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3527 TO BE ANSWERED ON 02.01.2019

## Cave-in Areas in Coal Mining

## †3527. SHRI HARINARAYAN RAJBHAR:

Will the Minister of COAL be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is aware of cave-in areas in coal mining;
- (b) if so, State-wise details of the last five years including those in Uttar Pradesh;
- (c) whether any technical survey has been conducted by the experts during the last five years to ascertain the probability or the reasons for the cave-in areas;
- (d) if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) the action taken by the Government to rehabilitate the affected people and for revival of the affected areas?

## ANSWER

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

(a)&  (b): Yes  Madam.  Government  is  aware  of  cave-in-areas  in  coal  mining  especially  in  the command area  of  Coal  India  Limited.  State-wise  details  of  the  incidences  of  subsidence  in  the leasehold of subsidiary companies of CIL during last five years regarding are as under:

## West Bengal (ECL):

|   Sl. No. | Date/Period   | Place                                                         | Remarks                                                         |
|-----------|---------------|---------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
|         1 | May-2013      | Khairabad(Gourandi-A) colliery, Salanpur area                 | Subsided beside road. No injury.                                |
|         2 | Oct-2013      | Amrit Nagar colliery, Kunustoria area                         | Area subsided beside ECL quarter due to old working. No injury. |
|         3 | Oct-2013      | Colony area of Parascole West, Kajora area                    | Surface crack and wall crack of residence of GM. No Injury      |
|         4 | 01.03.2014    | Near Hosania more beside Sanctoria village under Sodepur area | Pot hole occurred on the road. No injury.                       |
|         5 | 27.03.2017    | Aldih village under Sodepur area.                             | Subsided beside road. No injury.                                |
|         6 | 15.12.2018    | Refugee Bastee/Bangal Para under Pandaveswar area.            | Subsidence occurred adjacent to an earlier pot hole. No injury. |

## Jharkhand (BCCL):

| SL   |   Year | Place                         | Remarks                     |
|------|--------|-------------------------------|-----------------------------|
|      |   2014 | NIl                           |                             |
|      |   2015 | Nil                           | -                           |
|      |   2016 | Indra chouck Jharia,Jharkhand | Cave-in Area in coal mining |
|      |   2017 | Nil                           | -                           |
|      |   2018 | Nil                           | -                           |

## Chhatishgarh (SECL):

| SL   | Year       | Name of mine                            | Remarks                                                                      |
|------|------------|-----------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|      | 03.08.2014 | Balrampur 10&12 Inclines (Chhattisgarh) | Pot hole occurred on 03/08/2014 due to caving in. It was filled up properly. |
|      | 2015       | Nil                                     | -                                                                            |
|      | 2016       | Nil                                     | -                                                                            |
|      | 2017       | Nil                                     | -                                                                            |
|      | 2018       | Nil                                     | -                                                                            |

## Uttar Pradesh:

There is no cave-in areas due to coal mining activity in the last five years.

Further, in leasehold areas of CCL,WCL,NCL,MCL& NEC, there is no cave-in areas due to coal mining activity in the last five years .

- (c) - (d): Cave-in usually occurs while extraction of coal in underground mines using depillaring with caving method of coal extraction. Before starting depillaring operation in an underground mine, statutory permission is taken from the law enforcing authority Director General of Mines Safety (DGMS) after conducting appropriate scientific studies. The terms & conditions stipulated in  the  DGMS  permission  letter  to  safeguard  against  cave-in  are  strictly  complied  during depillaring operation. Surface right is acquired before taking permission for final extraction of coal by caving method in underground mines of CIL to safeguard against caving. Further, DGMS & ISO officials apart from mines official regularly inspecting the mines leasehold area to assess the  chances  of  caving  in,  if  any,  over  a  mined  out  area  and  take  precautionary  measures  in advance to prevent cave-in.
- (e):  In order to rehabilitate the affected people due to cave-in on account of unscientific mining before nationalization in BCCL and ECL command area, a master Plan was approved by Govt. of India  in  August  2009.    Asansol  Durgapur  Development  Authority  (ADDA)  was  identified  as implementing  agency  for  rehabilitation  of  non-ECL  population  on  behalf  of  Govt.  of  West Bengal while Jharia Resettlement and Development Authority (JRDA) on behalf of Government of Jharkhand for non BCCL persons.

***