Chhattisgarh-based Coal India subsidiary South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL)’s Gevra and Kusmunda coal mines have secured the 2nd and 4th spots in the list of the world’s 10 largest coal mines, as released by WorldAtlas.com.
Located in the Korba district of Chhattisgarh state, these two mines collectively produce more than 100 million tons of coal annually, accounting for about 10 percent of India’s total coal production.
The Gevra opencast mine has an annual production capacity of 70 million tons and produced 59 million tons of coal in the financial year 2023-24. The mine commenced operations in 1981 and boasts sufficient coal reserves to meet the country’s energy needs for the next 10 years.
The Kusmunda opencast mine produced over 50 million tons of coal in the financial year 2023-24, making it the second mine in India, after Gevra, to achieve this milestone.
These mines utilize some of the world’s largest and most advanced mining equipment, including the “Surface Miner,” which extracts and cuts coal without the need for blasting, promoting eco-friendly mining operations.
For overburden removal (the process of extracting layers of soil, stone, etc., to expose the coal seam), the mines employ some of the largest HEMMs (Heavy Earth Moving Machinery) globally, such as 240-ton dumpers, 42 cubic meter shovels, and Vertical Rippers, ensuring environmentally friendly and blast-free overburden removal.
SECL CMD Prem Sagar Mishra remarked that it is a moment of pride for Chhattisgarh state to host two of the world’s five largest coal mines. Mishra expressed gratitude towards the Coal Ministry, Environment Ministry, state government, Coal India, Railways, various stakeholders, and, most importantly, coal workers, whose relentless efforts contributed to this significant achievement.
Coal production, which stood at 382.62 million tons (MT) in 2004-05, has surged to 893.19 MT in 2022-23 and was on track to reach 1,000 MT in the year 2023-24.
(With ANI Inputs)
