The management of Singareni Collieries Company Ltd (SCCL) has plans to mine 20 million tonnes of coal in the next financial year from the four new opencast mines – Naini (Odisha), VK, Rompedu and Goleti – to be opened later this year.
According to the authorities of the coal company, about 90% of work on the new mines is already completed and the remaining work will be speeded up so that they can be commissioned in December. Although mining is planned to commence this year (fiscal), it is expected to reach the intended extent of 20 million tonnes in the next financial year.
They stated that all clearances and approvals were secured for the Naini mine in Odisha but the work on setting up a coal handling plant (CHP) and railway siding from the CHP to the main railway line is yet to be completed. All arrangements including contract to transport the coal mined to railway siding from the mine would be finalised soon.
Some minor issues related to relief and rehabilitation and removal of trees were also pending but all the works are expected to be completed by December and production would be taken up from January. Naini coal mine also is expected to contribute 10 million tonnes coal to the 20 million planned to be mined from the new mines next year.
The authorities said forest clearances were yet to be secured for VK, Rompedu and Goleti mines but they were making efforts to get them by October-end. By commencing coal production from December this year, the plan is to reach the peak production capacity of 4 million tonnes from VK, 2 million tonnes from Rompedu and 3.5 million tonnes from Goleti from the next financial year.
