About 17.7 lakh people benefit from Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs') sustainable use of coal mine water resources
- IBEF
- September 29, 2023
According to the government, 17.7 lakh people in 981 villages in nine states have benefited from public sector enterprises using mine water resources sustainably. During coal mining operations, mine sumps acquire a large amount of mine water.
This stored mine water serves a range of community purposes, including domestic and drinking water supply, irrigation of agricultural fields, groundwater replenishment, and various industrial applications like dust suppression and heavy machinery washing.
According to a statement by coal ministry, in the fiscal year 2022–23, Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) released about 8,130 lakh m3 of mine water, of which 46% was used for community purposes like irrigation and domestic needs, 49% was used for internal domestic and industrial needs, and 6% was set aside for groundwater recharge initiatives.
To ensure the suitability of mine water for drinking and irrigation purposes, several treatment methods have been implemented. Numerous steps have been undertaken to provide access to safe and clean water for communities throughout the year.
In the Paschim Bardhaman district of West Bengal, a state-of-the-art reverse osmosis filtration plant with a capacity of 5,000 litres per hour has been constructed up inside the grounds of Ningah Colliery of Coal India branch, Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL).
This facility cleans mine water that is pumped out, supplying local communities and colonies with potable water and water for home use. Underground seepage water from the underground mines Damini, Khairaha, Rajendra, and Navgaon is sent into the Sarafa River in the Madhya Pradesh districts of Shahdol and Anuppur.
At the Sarafa Dam, this water is initially purified through a series of filtration steps. Following treatment, the water is used for agriculture in the mines' environs. Over 5,000 people in the nearby villages of Khannath and Chirhiti would also benefit from the establishment of two filtration facilities with a combined gross capacity of nine lakh litres.
Disclaimer: This information has been collected through secondary research and IBEF is not responsible for any errors in the same.
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