Coal news and updates

Coal illegally mined mainly in WB, Jharkhand: Goyal

India Coal Market Watch

December 15: Cases of illegal mining are detected predominantly in the eastern region of India, mainly in the states of Jharkhand and West Bengal (WB), Coal Minister Piyush Goyal said in a written reply in Parliament.

He said illegal mining has taken place clandestinely both within and outside the leasehold areas of Coal India Ltd (CIL) subsidiaries.

Leasehold areas are those where CIL does not have surface rights while “outside” areas are those where entries take place in the form of ‘rat holes” for coal extraction in locations where the depth of deposition of the coal seam is not much from the surface.

In Jharkhand, illegal mining has been detected in Bharat Coking Coal Ltd (BCCL), Central Coalfields Ltd (CCL) and Eastern Coalfields Ltd (ECL) while in West Bengal, the same has been detected in BCCL and ECL.

Goyal said illegal mining of coal is carried out stealthily and clandestinely and, as such, it is not possible to specify the exact quantum of coal stolen and losses incurred on account of such activities.

However, as per raids conducted by security personnel as well as joint raids with the law and order authorities of the state governments concerned, around 173.75 tons of coal, valued at around Rs 2.245 lakh, was recovered in 2014-15, he said.

According to the minister, in ECL’s leasehold area in West Bengal, illegal mining was detected in Sodepur, Sripur and Salanpur areas covering more than 38 mines, while in Jharkhand, the same was detected in Mugma and Pandavesar areas covering 13 leasehold areas.

In BCCL, such instances were detected in as many as 25 areas, including Barora, Govindpur, Lodna, Bastacolla, Kusunda and Katras areas, covering a large number of colliery sites.

In CCL, instances of illegal mining were witnessed in East Bokaro, Giridih, West Bokaro, Ramgarh and South Karanpura coalfields, covering a large number of collieries, he said.