Srotaswini Mohapatra
Pune, 20 July 2024
Chhattisgarh-based Coal India subsidiary South Eastern Coalfields Limited’s (SECL) Gevra and Kusmunda coal mines have secured the 2nd and 4th spot in the list of the world’s 10 largest coal mines released by WorldAtlas.com.
Located in the Korba district of Chhattisgarh state, these two mines produce more than 100 million tons of coal annually accounting for about 10% of India’s total coal production.
The Gevra opencast mine has an annual production capacity of 70 million tons and produced 59 million tons of coal in FY 23-24. The mine started operations in the year 1981 and it has enough coal reserves to meet the country’s energy requirements for the next 10 years.
Kusmunda OC mine produced more than 50 million tons of coal in FY 23-24, only the second mine in India after Gevra to achieve this feat.
These mines have deployed some of the world’s largest and most advanced mining machines such as the “Surface Miner” that extracts and cuts coal without blasting for eco-friendly mining operations.
For overburden removal (the process of removing layers of soil, stone etc. to expose the coal seam), the mines use some of the world’s largest HEMMs (Heavy Earth Moving Machinery) such as 240-ton dumpers, 42 cubic meters Shovels along with Vertical Rippers for environment-friendly and blast-free OB removal.
In his address, SECL CMD Prem Sagar Mishra expressed pride in Chhattisgarh state, noting that two of the world’s five largest coal mines are now located there. He extended gratitude to the Coal Ministry, MoEFCC, State Government, Coal India, Railways, various stakeholders, and especially the dedicated coal warriors whose tireless efforts made this achievement possible.
