Lok Sabha Question No. 4211 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-18
Subject: Accidents in Coal Mines
Ministry: COAL
Asked by: Dr. Rajkumar Sangwan

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COAL

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4211 ANSWERED ON 18.03.2026

## Accidents in Coal Mines

## †4211. Dr. Rajkumar Sangwan:

Will the Minister of COAL be pleased to state:

(a) the details of the number of accidents occurred in coal mines during the last four years and the current year, year and State-wise;

(b) the steps taken by the Government to reduce the incidence of accidents in coal mine sites; and

(c) the details of funds allocated for the protection and security of workers in coal mines during the said period?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR COAL & MINES (SHRI SATISH CHANDRA DUBEY)

(a): The State-wise details of accidents and fatality in coal mines during calendar year 2022-2026 are given in the Annexure.

(b): The Parliament has enacted the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions  (OSH&WC)  Code,  2020,  which  has  been  enforced  with  effect  from 21.11.2025. It regulates working conditions and workplace environments to safeguard the health, safety, and well-being of workers, including mine workers.

Further,  the  following  steps  have  been  taken  to  prevent  fatalities  and  reduce  the incidence of accidents in coal mines, thereby improving overall safety standards:

- i. Adoption of Self-Regulation : Formulation of  Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment -based Safety Management Plans (SMPs) , fostering a culture of proactive risk management.
- ii. Risk-Based Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) : Formulation and enforcement  of  risk-based  SOP  for  mining  and  associated  activities  to standardize safe work practices and reduce operational hazards.
- iii. Blast-Free,  Eco-Friendly  Safe  Mining  Technologies :  Adoption  of  blast free   production  technologies  on  a  large  scale  such  as Surface  Miners  in opencast  mines; Continuous  Miners   in  underground  mines  and  High  Wall Mining in hybrid mines to ensure safer, cleaner, and more efficient operations.

- iv. Mechanised  Strata  Control :  Deployment  of  mechanised  drilling  and resin capsule-based  roof  bolting,  supplemented  with  instrumentation,  to  ensure robust and scientifically managed strata control.
- v. Real-Time Safety Monitoring : Strengthening safety oversight through integration  of  mine  surveillance  systems  using  Integrated  Command  and Control Centres (ICCC) for continuous monitoring and rapid response.
- vi. Improved Mine Atmosphere Analysis : Utilization of gas chromatographs to enhance precision and reliability of mine air sample analysis.
- vii. Traffic  Safety :  Formulation  and  enforcement  of  COPs  for  transport  plying inside  mines.  Also  implemented  GPS-enabled  Operator  Independent  Truck Dispatch Systems with geo-fencing, improving haulage efficiency and minimising human error.
- viii. Modernisation  of  Training :  Enhancement  of  operator  skill  and safety awareness through simulator-based training for HEMM operators and the use of Virtual Reality (VR) for immersive, scenario-based safety training.
- ix. Modern and Advanced Dust Suppression :  Deployment  of  advanced  dust control  technologies,  including  fog  cannons  and  mist  spray  systems,  to minimise airborne particulate exposure and improve air quality.
- x. Use of Digitalisation and AI-based Analytics :  Leveraging digital tools and data  analytics  to  support  predictive  risk  management,  informed  decisionmaking,  and  creation  of  a  safer,  smarter,  and  more  sustainable  mining ecosystem.

(c): The funds allocated for protection and security of workers in coal mines during the last four financial years & current financial year by CIL, SCCL and NLCIL are as follows:-

| Financial YearFunds allocated (in crore rupees)   |   Financial YearFunds allocated (in crore rupees) |
|---------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------|
| 2021-22                                           |                                            961.63 |
| 2022-23                                           |                                           1072.33 |
| 2023-24                                           |                                           1183.1  |
| 2024-25                                           |                                           1208.34 |
| 2025-26                                           |                                           1064.97 |

Annexure The State-wise details of accidents and fatality in coal mines during the calendar year 2022-2026.

|   Year | Name of State   |   No of Fatal Accidents |   Fatality |   No of Serious Accidents |   Seriously Injured |
|--------|-----------------|-------------------------|------------|---------------------------|---------------------|
|   2022 | Chhattisgarh    |                       4 |          4 |                        19 |                  20 |
|   2022 | Gujarat         |                       0 |          0 |                         1 |                   1 |
|   2022 | Jharkhand       |                       7 |          8 |                        16 |                  17 |
|   2022 | Madhya Pradesh  |                       6 |          7 |                        18 |                  18 |
|   2022 | Maharashtra     |                       0 |          0 |                         9 |                  11 |
|   2022 | Odisha          |                       0 |          0 |                         4 |                   4 |
|   2022 | Rajasthan       |                       0 |          0 |                         1 |                   1 |
|   2022 | Tamil Nadu      |                       0 |          0 |                         1 |                   1 |
|   2022 | Telangana       |                       5 |          7 |                       102 |                 107 |
|   2022 | Uttar Pradesh   |                       0 |          0 |                         1 |                   1 |
|   2022 | West Bengal     |                       2 |          2 |                         9 |                   9 |
|   2023 | Chhattisgarh    |                       2 |          2 |                        12 |                  13 |
|   2023 | Gujarat         |                       0 |          0 |                         2 |                   2 |
|   2023 | Jharkhand       |                      11 |         12 |                        16 |                  18 |
|   2023 | Madhya Pradesh  |                       3 |          3 |                         5 |                   5 |
|   2023 | Maharashtra     |                       3 |          3 |                         2 |                   2 |
|   2023 | Odisha          |                       6 |          8 |                         1 |                   4 |
|   2023 | Tamil Nadu      |                       1 |          1 |                         0 |                   0 |
|   2023 | Telangana       |                       6 |          6 |                        67 |                  67 |
|   2023 | Uttar Pradesh   |                       1 |          1 |                         8 |                  12 |
|   2023 | West Bengal     |                       5 |          5 |                         4 |                   7 |
|   2024 | Chhattisgarh    |                       6 |          6 |                        10 |                  10 |
|   2024 | Gujarat         |                       1 |          1 |                         1 |                   1 |
|   2024 | Jharkhand       |                       3 |          3 |                         6 |                   7 |
|   2024 | Madhya Pradesh  |                       9 |         11 |                         6 |                  11 |

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|       | Maharashtra    |   2 |   2 |   4 |   4 |
|-------|----------------|-----|-----|-----|-----|
|       | Odisha         |   3 |   3 |   2 |   2 |
|       | Tamil Nadu     |   2 |   2 |   2 |   2 |
|       | Telangana      |   7 |   8 |  86 |  86 |
|       | Uttar Pradesh  |   1 |   1 |   0 |   0 |
|       | West Bengal    |   4 |  12 |   2 |   3 |
| 2025* | Chhattisgarh   |   7 |   8 |   6 |   8 |
| 2025* | Gujarat        |   0 |   0 |   1 |   1 |
| 2025* | Jharkhand      |  15 |  22 |  12 |  14 |
| 2025* | Madhya Pradesh |   4 |   6 |   9 |  10 |
| 2025* | Maharashtra    |   2 |   2 |   8 |   8 |
|       | Odisha         |   4 |   4 |   3 |   3 |
|       | Telangana      |   3 |   3 |  78 |  80 |
|       | Uttar Pradesh  |   2 |   2 |   1 |   1 |
|       | West Bengal    |   5 |   5 |   0 |   0 |
| 2026* | Chhattisgarh   |   1 |   1 |   0 |   0 |
| 2026* | Jharkhand      |   0 |   0 |   2 |   2 |
| 2026* | Madhya Pradesh |   3 |   3 |   1 |   1 |
| 2026* | Maharashtra    |   0 |   0 |   1 |   1 |
| 2026* | Odisha         |   1 |   1 |   1 |   1 |
| 2026* | Telangana      |   1 |   1 |   5 |   5 |
| 2026* | West Bengal    |   1 |   1 |   0 |   0 |

*Data for the years 2025 and 2026 are provisional.

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