Lok Sabha Question No. 3859 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-18
Subject: Coal Mines operated by PSUs
Ministry: COAL
Asked by: Shri Anil Firojiya

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COAL

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. †3859 TO BE ANSWERED ON 18.12.2024

## Coal Mines operated by PSUs

## †3859. Shri Anil Firojiya:

Will the Minister of COAL be pleased to state:

(a)  the  total  number  of  underground  coal  and  metal  mines  operated  by  Public  Sector Undertakings (PSUs) and Private Sector Enterprises at present;

(b) whether any accidents/incidents involving fatalities and serious injuries due to roof failure in the underground coal and metal mines have been reported during the last five years and if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether any guidelines have been issued to the mine operators for implementing advanced technologies to avoid such fatal and unwanted incidents;

(d) if so, whether any action has been taken against the mine operators for non-compliance of the said guidelines; and

(e) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

(a):  As  per  information  available  with  the  Directorate  General  of  Mines  Safety  (DGMS), number of underground Coal and Metal mines operated by Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) and Private sector Enterprises is as under:

|               | Below ground   | Below ground      | Mixed (Below Ground &Opencast)   | Mixed (Below Ground &Opencast)   |
|---------------|----------------|-------------------|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
| Industry Type | No. of Mines   | Coal No. of Mines | Metal No. of Coal Mines          | No. of Metal Mines               |
| PSU           | 226            | 22                | 36                               | 1                                |
| Private       | 12             | 62                | 2                                | 5                                |

* The data is provisional.

(b):  The details of the accidents involving fatalities and serious injuries due to roof failure in the underground coal and underground metal mines are attached as Annexure-I.

(c):  Under Coal Mines Regulation 2017, DGMS issues guidelines in the form of circulars for strata control, systematic support rule, phasing out of manual loading, setting of supports and introduction of roof bolting system etc. The following steps have been taken by the DGMS to reduce fatalities in mines and improve the safety of workers engaged therein:

(i). Legislative measures:

(a) Regular inspection of the mines to ensure compliance of provisions of the Mines Act, 1952 and Rules/ Regulations made thereunder.

(b)  Conduct of enquiry into the accident and dangerous occurrences to ascertain the cause and circumstances that led to the accident and suggestion of suitable remedial measures to the mine management.

(ii).  Development of standard setting.

(iii). Promotional measures in the form of holding National conferences on safety in mines, imparting Vocational Training and other Training, Observance of Safety Weeks and Safety Campaigns,  holding  Rescue  Competition,  promoting  participation  of  workers  in  safety management, awareness and information dissemination.

(iv). Introduction of Risk Assessment Techniques and preparation of Safety Management Plan aimed at mitigation of risks and to ensure safety of workmen including introduction of standard operating procedures etc.

(d) & (e):  Regular inspection of the mines are conducted by DGMS to ensure compliance of provisions of the Mines Act, 1952 and Rules/Regulations made thereunder. Conduct of enquiry into the accident and dangerous occurrences to ascertain the cause and circumstances that led to the accident and suggestion of suitable remedial measures to the mine management. Details of action taken against the mine operators for non-compliance of the said guidelines, are placed at Annexure -II

*******

## Annexure-I

## Details of accidents due to roof fall (0111) in the underground coal mines

| State   | Chhattisgarh   | Chhattisgarh   | Jharkhand   | Jharkhand   | Madhya Pradesh   | Madhya Pradesh   | Odisha   | Odisha   |
|---------|----------------|----------------|-------------|-------------|------------------|------------------|----------|----------|
| Year    | Killed         | Injured        | Killed      | Injured     | Killed           | Injured          | Killed   | Injured  |
| 2       | 0              | 0              | 0           | 0           | 1                | 0                | 0        | 2019     |
| 1       | 1              | 0              | 1           | 1           | 0                | 1                | 0        | 2020     |
| 1       | 0              | 0              | 0           | 1           | 1                | 0                | 0        | 2021     |
| 0       | 2              | 0              | 0           | 3           | 0                | 0                | 0        | 2022     |
| 0       | 1              | 0              | 0           | 0           | 0                | 0                | 0        | 2023     |
| 2024 0  | 1              | 0              | 0           | 0           | 0                |                  | 0        | 0        |

| State   | Telangana      | Maharashtra   | Maharashtra   | West Bengal   | West Bengal   |
|---------|----------------|---------------|---------------|---------------|---------------|
| Year    | Killed Injured | Killed        | Injured       | Killed        | Injured       |
| 2019 1  | 4              | 0             | 0             | 0             | 0             |
| 2020 1  | 3              | 0             | 0             | 0             | 0             |
| 6       | 2              | 0             | 0             | 2 0           | 2021          |
| 0       | 2              | 0             | 2             | 0             | 2022 0        |
| 1       | 1              | 1             | 1             | 2             | 2023 0        |
| 0       | 2              | 0             | 0             | 0 1           | 2024          |

## Details of accidents due to roof fall (0111) in the underground metalliferous mines

| State   | Jharkhand   | Jharkhand      | MadhyaPradesh Rajasthan   | MadhyaPradesh Rajasthan   | MadhyaPradesh Rajasthan   | MadhyaPradesh Rajasthan   | Karnataka   | Karnataka   | Maharashtra   | Maharashtra   |
|---------|-------------|----------------|---------------------------|---------------------------|---------------------------|---------------------------|-------------|-------------|---------------|---------------|
| Year    | Killed      | Injured Killed | Injured                   |                           | Killed Injured            | Killed                    |             | Injured     | Killed        | Injured       |
| 0       | 0           | 3              | 1                         | 0                         | 1                         | 1                         | 0           | 0           | 0             | 2019          |
| 0       | 0           | 0              | 0                         | 0                         | 0                         | 0                         | 0           | 2           | 0             | 2020          |
| 0       | 0           | 0              | 0                         | 0                         | 0                         | 0                         | 0           | 0           | 0             | 2021          |
| 1       | 0           | 1              | 1                         | 0                         | 0                         | 0                         | 0           | 0           | 0             | 2022          |
| 0       | 0           | 0              | 0                         | 0                         | 0                         | 0                         | 0           | 0           | 0             | 2023          |
| 0       | 0           | 2              | 0                         | 0                         | 0                         | 1                         | 2           | 0           | 0             | 2024          |

Details of inspections carried out by DGMS

| Year   |   No. of Inspections |   No. of Enquiries |   No. of Notices Issued |   No. of Prohibitory orders issued |   No. of Prosecutions launched |   No. of circulars issued |
|--------|----------------------|--------------------|-------------------------|------------------------------------|--------------------------------|---------------------------|
| 2022   |                 8310 |               1400 |                     127 |                                216 |                             24 |                        02 |
| 2023   |                 9008 |               1284 |                     233 |                                330 |                             36 |                        02 |
| *2024  |                 6614 |               1284 |                     169 |                                280 |                             24 |                        07 |

Data of 2024(up to Oct 24) is provisional.

*********

## Annexure-II