Coal news and updates

MCL to build road for coal transportation

With an aim to ward off pollution and road congestion, Mahanadi coalfield Limited has decided to construct a 12-km long road exclusively for coal transportation.

This road already has the approval of the company and will replace the current existing road, which is very congested and heavily polluted with coal carrying trucks.

While the current road emanating from Hingula to NH139 passes through eight villages and nine MCL colonies, the proposed road will pass through non-residential mining areas affecting none, according to MCL top official at Talcher.

“It is the decision of the company to lay separate road replacing the existing road for the plying of thousands of trucks daily carrying coal. The proposed road will pass through the coalmining areas. The length and width of the proposed road will be 10.5 and 15 meter respectively,” said the top official.

Earlier MCL planned to improve the existing 12 long road starting from Hingula to NH with widening and having some flyovers. But later the plan was dropped as some problems arose. Now the company has resolved to put a separate corridor for road transport of coal much to the relief of the local population.

As the current road is extremely busy and congested with thousands of coal transporting trucks, there are recurrent road mishaps and coal dust pollution. The people have long been agitating for separate road distanced from the human habitation. However the official said that the plan will get financial approval after that all the formalities, like calling tender will take place soon.

source: http://www.thestatesman.com