Lok Sabha Question No. 1564 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-11-27
Subject: Underground Fires in Coal Mines
Ministry: COAL
Asked by: Chandra Prakash Choudhary

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF COAL LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1564 TO BE ANSWERED ON  27.11.2019

## Underground Fires in Coal Mines

## 1564.  SHRI CHANDRA PRAKASH CHOUDHARY:

Will the Minister of COAL be pleased to state:

- (a) whether some of the coal mine in the country including in Jharkhand are facing underground fire for quite some time and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) the estimated losses due to such underground fire of coal mines during the last three years;
- (c) the reasons for such underground fire of coal mines and ways to prevent the same; and
- (d) whether the Government has taken measures to stop/prevent underground fire in coal mines and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF  PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS, COAL AND MINES (SHRI PRALHAD JOSHI)

(a): The  coal  mines  under  Coal  India  Limited  are  not  facing  underground  fire  for  quite sometimes  except,  mining  areas  in  Jharia  Coalfield  (JCF)  in  Jharkhand.  The  mining  areas  in Jharia Coalfield within the leasehold of Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL), are facing with problems of fire and subsidence due to the century old history of mining in the coalfield. As per approved Master Plan in 2009, after nationalization, 70 fires were known to exit in JCF in the leasehold of BCCL after investigation. Subsequently seven (7) more fires were identified making the total tally of fires to 77. Out of 77 fires areas, ten (10) fires got completely extinguished due to control measures taken after formation of BCCL. Fire dousing is going on in rest of the fire sites.

- (b): According to the approved Jharia  Master Plan, an assessment was made during the  year 2009 that about 37 million tonne of good quality prime coking coal has been destroyed due to fire in Jharia Coalfield. However no further assessment has been made during last three years.

(c): Before nationalization, fire was initiated in underground mainly due to unscientific mining by private owners and also other reasons e.g. due to existence of old workings with full height extraction with wide galleries, multi seam and multi-section development under shallow depths, existence of developed seams under extracted lower seam with stowing etc.

Apart from compliance with statutory provision laid down in Coal Mines Regulations (CMR) 2017  in  respect  to  underground  fire,  conventional  methods  are  used  with  varying  degree  of success viz. (i)  Excavation, (ii) Isolation by trenching, (iii) Blind flushing, (iv) Surface sealing, (v)  Isolation  by  underground  stopping,  (vi)  Quenching  and  cooling,  (vii)  Cooling  by  water curtain and (viii) Flooding.

Other  Methods  of  Fire  Control  and  Extinguishment  are  (i)  Inert  Gas  injection,  (ii)  Chemical Treatment, (iii) Modified  Bulk  filling (Water  / Slurry) and (iv) Modified  Bulk  filling (Pneumatic).

(d) : A Master Plan was prepared by CMPDI and approved by Govt. of India in Aug, 2009 for dealing  with  fire,  subsidence  and  rehabilitation  in  the  lease  hold  of  BCCL.  BCCL  adopted  a Strategic Plan and decided to liquidate the fires by excavating fire area by deploying HEMM. Surface  fire  study  is  being  done  by  National  Remote  Sensing  Centre,  Hyderabad  at  regular intervals. All efforts are being done for controlling the fires.

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