Lok Sabha Question No. 110 (STARRED), answered on 2022-12-14
Subject: Unlocking Underground Reserves of Coal
Ministry: COAL
Asked by: Anumula Revanth Reddy

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COAL

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 110 ANSWERED ON 14.12.2022

Unlocking Underground Reserves of Coal

## *110.   SHRI ANUMULA REVANTH REDDY:

Will the Minister of Coal be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether the Government needs to focus on unlocking underground reserves of coal, if so, the reasons therefor;
- (b)  the details of Open Cast (OC) coal in tonnes mined in last five years, year-wise and Statewise;
- (c) the details of underground coal mines to supplement open cast coal in last five years, yearwise and State-wise; and
- (d)  whether around 70% of the country's coal reserves are amenable to UG mining and if so, details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

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

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## Statement referred to in reply to parts (a) to (d) in respect of Lok Sabha Starred Question No.  110  for  reply  on  14.12.2022  regarding  Unlocking  Underground  Reserves  of  Coal asked by Shri Anumula Revanth Reddy.

(a)     As of now, country largely depends on opencast mining for domestic coal production and about 95% of domestic coal production has been achieved through opencast mining methods. Later,  when  coal  resources  at  shallower  depth  for  opencast  mining  shall  deplete,  requiring substitution  with  suitable  mining  technologies  which  are  socially  acceptable,  environment friendly  and  economically  feasible.  In  such  circumstances,  underground  mining  is  suitable alternative to opencast coal production. The advanced countries prefer underground mining due to lesser financial, social & environmental burden. The importance of underground mines is enhanced considering its social & environmental impact and its wide applicability in deep seated coal resource.

(b) & (c)     State-wise coal production from OC and UG mines from 2016-17 to 2021-22 is placed at Annexure.

(d)     Mining of coal reserve (resource) by underground or opencast mining depends mainly on its  technical and financial feasibility analysis, as available technology, scale of operation & its financial feasibility changes with new technology development, input costs, price and other parameters. At the time nationalization, majority of coal mines were underground mines even if depth of coal seams was up to 100m. After nationalization, depth of opencast mines increased significantly and currently it is generally considered up to 300m. Underground coal mines are working at depth up to 600m.

As per available mining technology, coal resources within depth range of 300 to 600m and higher  is  considered  as  amenable  to  underground  mining.  The  depth-wise  estimated  coal resources as per the Coal Inventory published by GSI, as on 01.04.2022, is as under:

## (Resources in million tonne)

| Depth Range   |     | Coking   | Coking   | Coking      | Non-coking       | Non-coking        | Non-coking   | High Sulphur   | Grand     |
|---------------|-----|----------|----------|-------------|------------------|-------------------|--------------|----------------|-----------|
|               | (m) | Prime    | Medium   | Semi coking | Superior (G1-G6) | Inferior (G7-G17) | Ungraded     |                | Total     |
| 0-300         |     | 3.02     | 11961.89 | 466.77      | 21688.23         | 156530.68         | 6718.12      | 1453.54        | 198822.25 |
| 0-600         |     | 4060.49  | 4645.14  | 0.00        | 204.52           | 5897.48           | 0.00         | 0.00           | 14807.63  |
| 300-600       |     | 0.00     | 6509.31  | 758.14      | 13786.84         | 81952.69          | 12058.87     | 202.00         | 115267.85 |
| 600-1200      |     | 1254.78  | 4963.25  | 482.61      | 3434.04          | 16990.39          | 5388.66      | 0.00           | 32513.73  |
| 0-1200        |     | 5318.29  | 28079.59 | 1707.52     | 39113.63         | 261371.24         | 24165.65     | 1655.54        | 361411.46 |

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## State-wise coal production from OC and UG mines from 2016-17 to 2021-22 -

| State wise OC/UG Production (Qty. in MT)   | State wise OC/UG Production (Qty. in MT)   | State wise OC/UG Production (Qty. in MT)   | State wise OC/UG Production (Qty. in MT)   | State wise OC/UG Production (Qty. in MT)   | State wise OC/UG Production (Qty. in MT)   | State wise OC/UG Production (Qty. in MT)   | State wise OC/UG Production (Qty. in MT)   | State wise OC/UG Production (Qty. in MT)   | State wise OC/UG Production (Qty. in MT)   | State wise OC/UG Production (Qty. in MT)   | State wise OC/UG Production (Qty. in MT)   | State wise OC/UG Production (Qty. in MT)   | State wise OC/UG Production (Qty. in MT)   | State wise OC/UG Production (Qty. in MT)   | State wise OC/UG Production (Qty. in MT)   | State wise OC/UG Production (Qty. in MT)   |
|--------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|
| Sl. no                                     | States                                     | 2017-18                                    | 2017-18                                    | 2017-18                                    | 2018-19                                    | 2018-19                                    | 2018-19                                    | 2019-20                                    | 2019-20                                    | 2019-20                                    | 2020-21                                    | 2020-21                                    | 2020-21                                    | 2021-22 (Prov.)                            | 2021-22 (Prov.)                            | 2021-22 (Prov.)                            |
| Sl. no                                     | States                                     | OC                                         | UG                                         | Total                                      | OC                                         | UG                                         | Total                                      | OC                                         | UG                                         | Total                                      | OC                                         | UG                                         | Total                                      | OC                                         | UG                                         | Total                                      |
| 1                                          | Assam                                      | 8                                          | 0.00                                       | 0.79                                       | 0.78                                       | 0.00                                       | 0.78                                       | 0.52                                       | 0.00                                       | 0.52                                       | 0.04                                       | 0.00                                       | 0.04                                       | 0.03                                       | 0.00                                       | 0.03                                       |
| 2                                          | Chhatisgarh                                | 133.46                                     | 9.08                                       | 142.55                                     | 152.98                                     | 8.91                                       | 161.89                                     | 149.84                                     | 7.91                                       | 157.75                                     | 151.78                                     | 6.63                                       | 158.41                                     | 147.89                                     | 6.23                                       | 154.12                                     |
| 3                                          | Jammu &kashmir                             | 0.00                                       | 0.01                                       | 0.01                                       | 0.00                                       | 0.01                                       | 0.01                                       | 0.00                                       | 0.01                                       | 0.01                                       | 0.00                                       | 0.01                                       | 0.01                                       | 0.00                                       | 0.01                                       | 0.01                                       |
| 4                                          | Jharkhand                                  | 120.00                                     | 3.30                                       | 123.30                                     | 131.54                                     | 3.12                                       | 134.67                                     | 128.29                                     | 3.48                                       | 131.76                                     | 121.08                                     | 2.35                                       | 123.43                                     | 127.53                                     | 2.58                                       | 130.11                                     |
| 5                                          | Maharashtra                                | 39.97                                      | 2.25                                       | 42.22                                      | 47.80                                      | 2.02                                       | 49.82                                      | 52.94                                      | 1.81                                       | 54.75                                      | 46.09                                      | 1.34                                       | 47.44                                      | 55.24                                      | 1.29                                       | 56.53                                      |
| 6                                          | Meghalaya                                  | 1.53                                       | 0.00                                       | 1.53                                       | 0.00                                       | 0.00                                       | 0.00                                       | 0.00                                       | 0.00                                       | 0.00                                       | 0.00                                       | 0.00                                       | 0.00                                       | 0.00                                       | 0.00                                       | 0.00                                       |
| 7                                          | Madhya Pradesh                             | 102.48                                     | 9.65                                       | 112.13                                     | 108.91                                     | 9.75                                       | 118.66                                     | 116.58                                     | 9.15                                       | 125.73                                     | 124.69                                     | 7.84                                       | 132.53                                     | 130.43                                     | 7.52                                       | 137.95                                     |
| 8                                          | Odisha                                     | 142.29                                     | 1.04                                       | 143.33                                     | 143.44                                     | 0.87                                       | 144.31                                     | 142.18                                     | 0.84                                       | 143.02                                     | 153.62                                     | 0.54                                       | 154.15                                     | 184.57                                     | 0.50                                       | 185.07                                     |
| 9                                          | Telangana                                  | 53.70                                      | 8.31                                       | 62.01                                      | 55.98                                      | 9.18                                       | 65.16                                      | 57.02                                      | 8.69                                       | 65.70                                      | 48.09                                      | 4.52                                       | 52.60                                      | 60.97                                      | 6.26                                       | 67.23                                      |
| 10                                         | Uttar Pradesh                              | 18.31                                      | 0.00                                       | 18.31                                      | 20.28                                      | 0.00                                       | 20.28                                      | 18.03                                      | 0.00                                       | 18.03                                      | 17.02                                      | 0.00                                       | 17.02                                      | 18.07                                      | 0.00                                       | 18.07                                      |
| 11                                         | West Bengal                                | 21.05                                      | 8.19                                       | 29.24                                      | 24.50                                      | 8.63                                       | 33.14                                      | 24.82                                      | 8.80                                       | 33.61                                      | 21.48                                      | 8.98                                       | 30.46                                      | 20.27                                      | 8.80                                       | 29.07                                      |
| TOTAL                                      | TOTAL                                      | 633.58                                     | 41.83                                      | 675.41                                     | 686.21                                     | 42.51                                      | 728.72                                     | 690.21                                     | 40.67                                      | 730.87                                     | 683.87                                     | 32.21                                      | 716.08                                     | 745.00                                     | 33.18                                      | 778.19                                     |