The minister, who chaired a meeting of the Consultative Committee on Coal & Mines Ministries on First Mile Connectivity projects, said first mile connectivity will promote ease of living in coal mine areas by reducing traffic congestion, road accidents and adverse impact on environment.
Coal and Mines Minister Pralhad Joshi on Monday said public sector coal companies, including state-owned Coal India, will adopt alternate transport methods, including mechanised conveyor systems, computerised loading onto railway rakes, among others, for movement of coal in large mines, replacing road transport.
The minister, who chaired a meeting of the Consultative Committee on Coal & Mines Ministries on First Mile Connectivity projects, said first mile connectivity will promote ease of living in coal mine areas by reducing traffic congestion, road accidents and adverse impact on environment.
“Coal PSUs will adopt alternate transport methods like mechanized conveyor systems, computerized loading onto railway rakes etc. replacing road transport in large mines,” the minister said in a tweet.
which accounts for over 80 per cent of domestic coal output, had earlier said that it has identified 14 additional projects involving capital expenditure of more than Rs 3,400 crore under the ‘first-mile connectivity’ initiative to upgrade transport facility at mines.
The state-run miner is replacing road transport of coal from pitheads to despatch points with mechanised systems like conveyor belts to decrease transportation time. It had announced 35 projects under the first phase of the initiative, of which two are operational.
“Four coal companies of CIL (Coal India Ltd) together will infuse a tentative capital of over Rs 3,400 crore in these projects that have a total of 100.5 million tonnes/year capacity,” the company had said.
Of the 14 projects in phase II, Central Coalfields Ltd (CCL) accounts for five projects with 62.5 million tonnes per annum capacity.
Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd with a solitary project has 20 million tonnes per annum capacity. Eastern Coalfields Ltd has seven projects and South Eastern Coalfields Ltd has one project with a capacity of 14 million tonnes per annum and 4 million tonnes per annum, respectively, the statement had said.
Source : Economic Times
