NLC India Ltd (NLCIL), a Central public sector enterprise will soon commence production of M-sand from overburden, the topsoil over lignite deposits, and use it for construction.
According to an official, the foundation stone for the overburden to M-sand plant was laid on Tuesday, December 12, 2023 in the presence of NLCIL Chairman-cum-Managing Director Prasanna Kumar Motupalli. The plant is expected to go operational from January 2024.
The initiative is aimed at promoting sustainable practices as per the directions of the Ministry of Coal. The project envisages maximization of the utilization of natural resources and minimizes the impact on river ecosystems.
According to NLCIL, during opencast mining, the overburdened sandstone is removed as waste to extract lignite, and the overburden is stored in dumps. An extensive study was conducted by NLCIL and IIT Madras for the processing of waste overburden at its open-cast mines into IS 383:2016 M-sand and the study found that it was suitable for conversion.
The NLCIL has envisaged processing of about 2.62 lakh cubic meters of M-sand from its overburden annually under Build Own Operate (BOO) business model from Lignite Mine - IA. The CPSE plans to establish similar plants at Mines I and II. Necessary statutory clearances have been obtained from the Central government for the project said to be the first of its kind in the lignite industry, the official said.
