Lok Sabha Question No. 2552 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-08-07
Subject: Safety Protocol in Coal Mines
Ministry: COAL
Asked by: Shri Praveen Patel, Shri Vijay Kumar Hansdak, Dr. Shrikant Eknath Shinde, Dr. D. Purandeswari, Shri Naresh Ganpat Mhaske

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COAL

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2552 ANSWERED ON 07.08.2024

## Safety Protocol in Coal Mines

## 2552. Shri Praveen Patel:

Shri Vijay Kumar Hansdak:

Smt. Daggubati Purandeswari:

Shri Naresh Ganpat Mhaske:

Dr. Shrikant Eknath Shinde:

Will the Minister of COAL be pleased to state:

- (a) the current safety protocols in place for coal mines and the total number of mines that are compliant with these protocols;
- (b) the details of coal mine safety inspections conducted during the last three years along with their findings;
- (c) the number of accidents reported in Coal Mines since 2019, State-wise;
- (d) the details of funds allocated under Conservation and Safety of Coal Mines during the last five years;
- (e) the total budget allocation for improving safety in coal mines during the last three years and the manner in which this has been utilized; and
- (f)  the  details  regarding  specific  measures  implemented  to  check  occurrence  and  reduce accidents in coal mines and the data relating to reduction in the number of these accidents as a result of the same?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF COAL AND MINES (SHRI G. KISHAN REDDY)

(a): The safety protocols in place in all coal mines under Ministry of Coal to make coal mines safe and secure for coal workers, are as under:

1. Compliance of the statutory provisions under the Mines Act, 1952, the Mines Rules 1955, The Mine Vocational Training Rules, 1966, The Mines Rescue Rules, 1985, The Mines Creche Rules, 1966 and The Coal Mine Regulations 2017 and Bye-laws & Standing Order framed thereunder to ensure safety in coal mines.
2. Preparation and implementation of Site Specific Risk Assessment based Safety Management Plans (SMPs).
3. Preparation and implementation of Principal Hazards Management Plans (PHMPs).
4. Formulation and compliance of Site-specific Risk Assessment based Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
5. Conducting Safety Audit of mines through multi-disciplinary Safety Audit teams.

- (b): The details of safety inspections in coal mines and findings related to contravention of provisions of Mines Act, 1952 and its subordinate Regulations are pointed out for rectifications are given hereunder

|   Year |   No. of Inspections in Coal Mines by DGMS officers |   No. of Contravention of provisions under Mines Act 1952 and rules &Regulations made thereunder |   No. of Improvement Notices issued under Sec. 22A (1) of the Mines Act 1952 |   No. of Prohibitory orders issued und Sec. 22 (3) of the Mines Act 1952 |
|--------|-----------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|   2021 |                                                1696 |                                                                                             5781 |                                                                           71 |                                                                       14 |
|   2022 |                                                3693 |                                                                                             8833 |                                                                           49 |                                                                       22 |
|   2023 |                                                3685 |                                                                                            10935 |                                                                          105 |                                                                       43 |

## (c): The details of state-wise accidents in coal mines reported since 2019 are as below:

| State          | Fatal Accidents   | Fatal Accidents   | Fatal Accidents   | Fatal Accidents   | Fatal Accidents   | Serious Accidents   | Serious Accidents   | Serious Accidents   |   Serious Accidents | Serious Accidents   |
|----------------|-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|---------------------|---------------------|---------------------|---------------------|---------------------|
| State          | 2019              | 2020              | 2021              | 2022              | 2023              | 2019                | 2020                | 2021                |                2022 | 2023                |
| Chhattisgarh   | 7                 | 12                | 5                 | 4                 | 3                 | 10                  | 5                   | 10                  |                  19 | 12                  |
| Gujarat        | -                 | -                 | -                 | -                 | -                 | -                   | 1                   | -                   |                   1 | 2                   |
| Jharkhand      | 11                | 8                 | 7                 | 7                 | 9                 | 7                   | 11                  | 15                  |                  16 | 13                  |
| Madhya Pradesh | 3                 | 4                 | 7                 | 6                 | 4                 | 8                   | 5                   | 15                  |                  18 | 7                   |
| Maharashtra    | 3                 | 4                 | 4                 | 0                 | 3                 | 12                  | 4                   | 5                   |                   9 | 2                   |
| Orissa         | 7                 | 5                 | 2                 | 0                 | 6                 | 2                   | 2                   | 3                   |                   4 | 1                   |
| Rajasthan      | 1                 | -                 | -                 | 0                 | -                 | 0                   | -                   | -                   |                   1 | -                   |
| Telangana      | 8                 | 9                 | 7                 | 5                 | 6                 | 143                 | 79                  | 126                 |                 102 | 65                  |
| Tamil Nadu     | 1                 | -                 | 0                 | 0                 | 1                 | 0                   | -                   | 1                   |                   1 | -                   |
| Uttar Pradesh  | 2                 | -                 | 1                 | 0                 | 0                 | 0                   | 2                   | 1                   |                   1 | 6                   |
| West Bengal    | 8                 | 6                 | 10                | 2                 | 5                 | 11                  | 8                   | 10                  |                   9 | 4                   |
| Total          | 51                | 48                | 43                | 24                | 37                | 193                 | 117                 | 186                 |                 181 | 112                 |

## (d): The funds allocated under Conservation and Safety of Coal Mines during last five years:

| Year    |   Funds allocated (Rs. in Crores) |
|---------|-----------------------------------|
| 2020-21 |                               6   |
| 2021-22 |                               4.5 |
| 2022-23 |                               4   |
| 2023-24 |                              20   |
| 2024-25 |                              20   |

- (e): The total budget allocation for improving safety in coal mines during the last three years:

| BUDGET ALLOCATION (Rs. in Crores.)   | BUDGET ALLOCATION (Rs. in Crores.)   | BUDGET ALLOCATION (Rs. in Crores.)   | BUDGET ALLOCATION (Rs. in Crores.)   |
|--------------------------------------|--------------------------------------|--------------------------------------|--------------------------------------|
| Coal Company                         | 2021-22                              | 2022-23                              | 2023-24                              |
| CIL                                  | 740.39                               | 769.93                               | 787.52                               |
| SCCL                                 | 129.38                               | 116.864                              | 122.35                               |

(f): All Coal mines are governed by the Mines Act, 1952 and rules and regulations framed thereunder. Mines Act, 1952 is administered by DGMS by way of development of suitable legislations, rules, regulations, standard and guidelines, inspections, investigation of accidents, awareness activities, formulating risk management plans.

Apart from compliance of the statutory provisions under the Mines Act, 1952, the Mines Rules- 1955, the Coal Mine Regulations- 2017 and Bye Laws & Standing Order framed there under the following steps are being taken to reduce occurrence of such accident in mines:

1. Preparation  and  implementation  of  Site  Specific  Risk  Assessment  based  Safety Management Plans (SMPs)
2. Preparation and implementation of Principal Hazards Management Plans (PHMPs)
3. Formulation  and  compliance  of  Site-specific  Risk  Assessment  based  Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
4. Conducting Safety Audit of mines through multi-disciplinary Safety Audit teams.
5. Adoption of the state-of-the art mechanism for Strata Management
6. Monitoring of mine environment
7. Specific Safety measures for OC mines, such as:
- Use of eco-friendly Surface Miners for blast free safe mining.
- Formulation and implementation of Mine-specific Traffic Rules.
- Training on Simulators to HEMM operators.
- Dumpers  fitted  with  Proximity  Warning  Devices,  Rear  view  mirrors  and  camera, Audio-Visual Alarm (AVA), Automatic Fire Detection & Suppression system etc.
- Ergonomically designed seats & AC Cabins for operators' comfort.
- GPS based Operator Independent Truck Dispatch System (OITDS) and Geo-fencing in some large OCPs for tracking movement of HEMMs inside OC mine.
- Lighting arrangement using high mast towers for increasing level of illumination.
8. Specific safety measures for Underground coal mines, such as:
- Elimination  of  basket  loading  by  introducing  semi  mechanization  with  LHDs  and SDLs.
- Replaced the cement capsules with resin capsules for effective roof control system with bolting by pneumatic /hydraulic roof bolting system
- Wherever geology permits, Continuous Miner technology is adopted
- Emergency Response & Evacuation Plans (ER & EP) prepared as per Regulation 252 of CMR 2017
- Air chilling plant to improve underground mine environment.
- Cordless cap lamps have been procured for the use by rescue personnel.
9. Training on Mine Safety:
- Initial and Refresher training & On-the-Job Training as per statute.
- Training on Simulators to HEMM operators.
- Skill up-gradation of frontline mine officials on continual basis on various topics.
- Sensitization of  all  employees  including  Members  of  Safety  Committees  and contractual workmen on a regular basis.
- Various training programmes for enhancement of knowledge of mine executives.
- Training on Risk Management by SIMTARS accredited executives

## 10. Mine Safety Inspection:

- Round-the-clock  Supervision  of  all  mining  operations  by  adequate  number  of competent & statutory Supervisors and mine Officials.
- Regular Inspection by Workmen Inspectors appointed in each mine.
- Surprise back shift mine Inspections by mine and area level officials.
- Regular mine Inspection by officials of the Internal Safety Organization.
- Periodic mine Inspections by senior officials.

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