Coal Miners Pump Rs 3,000 Crore into Progressive Mine Closure Over 3 Years

Coal mine operators in India have invested approximately Rs 3,000 crore over the past three years in progressive mine closure activities, a senior official announced on Friday. Speaking at the Indian National Committee of the World Mining Congress (INC WMC) in Hyderabad, V L Kantha Rao, Secretary of the Ministry of Mines, credited the Coal Controller’s efficient oversight for ensuring that all 500 operational coal mines undertake these measures every five years, not just at mine closure.

Rao highlighted that the Controller General of the Indian Bureau of Mines is enforcing similar progressive closure practices across 1,200 non-coal mines, though state governments have been slower to utilize forfeited funds for these efforts. Progressive mine closure involves rehabilitating mined land, restoring ecosystems, and ensuring environmental sustainability during and after mining operations.

Union Minister G Kishan Reddy, addressing the same event, outlined significant reforms in the mining sector. Since the auction regime began, 500 mineral blocks have been auctioned, with 119 in the last year alone. Policy changes, including 50-year uniform mining leases, streamlined permissions, and funding via the National Mineral Exploration Trust, have boosted private sector participation. The introduction of exploration licenses marks a first for encouraging private investment.

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These reforms have driven India to a historic milestone, producing over 1 billion tonnes of coal in 2024-25, while reducing coal imports by 7.9% to 243 million tonnes. Reddy also launched vision documents for the aluminium and copper sectors, signaling a strategic push to strengthen India’s mining ecosystem and reduce import dependency.

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