New Delhi: The Ministry of Coal will release ‘AAROH— Annual Report On Mine Closure’, in New Delhi. The report details the successful scientific closure and repurposing of 42 coal mines in accordance with approved mine closure plans. For the first time since independence, these mines have been closed through systematic remediation, environmental restoration, sustainable land use, and community-centric initiatives, transforming erstwhile mining areas into productive assets.
Union Minister of Coal and Mines Shri G. Kishan Reddy will attend this event as the chief guest. Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Shri Bhupender Yadav and Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, Earth Sciences, and other departments Dr. Jitendra Singh will attend as special guests, while Minister of State for Coal and Mines Shri Satish Chandra Dubey will be the Guest of Honour. Senior officials from the Ministry of Coal will also participate.
The Ministry of Coal has developed several frameworks to assist in the scientific closure of mines, stakeholder engagement, and planning for the sustainable use of land in coal-bearing areas. These include the RECLAIM Framework for community engagement, the L.I.V.E.S. Framework for sustainable mine closure and repurposing, and SUVIKALP (an interactive decision-support tool) for assessing mine repurposing options.
This event will showcase land reclamation and rehabilitation initiatives undertaken by Coal India Limited and its subsidiaries—NLC India Limited, Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL), and NTPC, as well as private mining companies. Additionally, Coal NEER plants installed by Coal India’s subsidiaries to provide safe and sustainable drinking water in coal-bearing regions, will be inaugurated. The Ministry will also sign an implementation agreement with Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) to strengthen technical cooperation on future mine closure projects and promote international best practices.
Additionally, a Tripartite MoU will be signed among Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL), Jharia Rehabilitation and Development Authority (JRDA), Hindalco Industries Limited, and Rajdhani Universal Fabrics Private Limited to launch vocational training facilities under the revised Jharia Master Plan.
The Ministry of Coal stated that these initiatives signal a shift in perspective: mine closure is no longer viewed merely as the end of mining operations, but rather as an opportunity for environmental restoration, economic diversification, and the sustainable development of mining communities.
(PIB)
