Lok Sabha Question No. 2903 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-08-06
Subject: Technology Upgradation in Open Cast Mines
Ministry: COAL
Asked by: G. HARI

**GOVERNMENT OF INDIA**

**MINISTRY OF COAL**

**LOK SABHA**

**UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2903**

**TO BE ANSWERED ON  6.8.2015**

**Technology Upgradation in Open Cast Mines**

**2903.  SHRI G. HARI:**

Will the **MINISTER OF COAL** be pleased to state :

1. Whether the Coal India Limited (CIL) has planned for technology upgradation in opencast mines with high capacity equipment, operator independent truck dispatch system, vehicle tracking system using GPS, Coal handling plants and soil for faster loading and monitoring using laser scanner;
2. if so, the details thereof;
3. whether it is a fact that for underground mines the CIL proposes to use continuous miner technology in large scale, long wall technology at selected places, man riding system in major mines and use of tele-monitoring techniques;
4. if so, the details thereof;
5. whether the CIL also proposes to introduce remote sensing geophysical technologies and proper monitoring and evolution methodologies for system upgradation; and
6. if so, the details thereof?

**ANSWER**

**MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) IN THE MINISTRY OF COAL, POWER AND NEW AND RENEWABLEE ENERGY (SHRI PIYUSH GOYAL)**

(a)&(b):  Technology up-gradation and modernization is a continuous process. Coal India Limited (CIL) has already planned its opencast mine with large capacity heavy earth moving machinery like 24Cum X 96m draglines, 42 Cum electric rope shovels, 14 Cum hydraulic shovels, 240 T dumpers, 3800mm Surface Miners, 850 HP dozers, 380 mm drill machines etc.  Further, Operator Independent Truck Dispatch System (OITDS), vehicle tracking system using GPS, Coal handling plants with silo loading arrangements for rapid loading of wagons and monitoring using laser scanners have also been adopted in the large opencast mines.

(c)&(d):  At present, 8 Continuous Miners are deployed in 7 underground mines of CIL. Introduction of this technology in 19 more underground mines has already been planned where it is envisaged to deploy 25 continuous miners with a planned capacity of 12.595mty.

- Work orders have already been issued to successful bidders to operate five mines (Jhanjra in ECL, Kapuria, Moonidih (both XV & XVI seam), and Muraidih in BCCL) by longwall technology. In Moonidih mine, longwall has already been started at XVI seam.

- At present man-riding systems are in operation in 20 underground mines of CIL. It is envisaged to  deploy  man riding systems in 30 more Underground Mines.

- At present in 12 number of underground mines of Coal India Limited, telemonitoring systems are in operation. It is envisaged to deploy telemonitoring sysytems in 12 more underground mines.

(e)&(f): CIL has already established state-of-the-art Remote Sensing Dept. in CMPDI since year 1990 for using the Space technology in all the stages of mining viz. pre-mining, syn-mining and post-mining. Geophysical technology is in vogue in coal exploration since 1980s in CIL. Resistivity survey, magnetic survey, high resolution seismic survey (HRSS) and downhole geophysics for multi-parametric borehole logging being used in CIL for coal exploration.

CIL has undertaken initiative for system upgradation by introducing LiDAR for OBR measurement, differential SAR interferometry for subsidence monitoring, thermal infrared survey for monitoring of coal mine fire, settlement mapping etc.

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