How are Mining & its techniques evolving in India?

The coal mining industry in India is a significant contributor to the country’s economy, as India is one of the world’s largest producers and consumers of coal. India has the fifth-largest coal reserves in the world, and coal is an essential source of energy for power generation, steel production, cement manufacturing and other industrial processes. 

Moreover, it has extensive reserves of iron ore, bauxite, chromium, manganese ore, baryte, rare earth and mineral salts and produces as many as 95 minerals.

Evolution of Mining in India 

Coal mining in India has evolved significantly over the years. Traditionally, the Bord and Pillar method was used in underground coal mines where tunnels or ‘galleries’ are dug into the coal seam, leaving behind a series of coal pillars to support the roof.  

Currently, the industry is concentrating on using mass production technology to turn these partially automated mines into fully automated Room and Pillar mines, where a series of parallel horizontal tunnels, called ‘rooms’, are excavated into the rock formation, leaving rock pillars to support the roof of the mine. 

Growth of the mining industry over the years

The total expected revenue from the Indian mines is around ₹7,000 crores, with a combined capacity of 51 million metric tonnes annually. Coal production increased by 13.4 % in January 2023 over the same month last year. On the other hand, mining production averaged 2.57% from 2006 to 2022.

A target of 100 million tonnes of underground coal production by 2030 is the goal for both the Government and Private sectors. It will go for mass-scale mechanization of both brownfield and greenfield mines. The prediction is that the industry requirement will be 10-15 continuous miner equipment packages yearly.

Plans for future demand

In the next five years, 55 new coal mines will be developed and the expansion of at least 193 present ones. Regardless of the resource's vast polluting potential, coal remains the most dominant source of energy globally, responsible for 37% of global energy generation. India has also undertaken an initiative to produce 1.2 billion tonnes of coal by 2023-24.

The nation's coal minister has announced, "Coal will play an important role in India until at least 2040 and beyond".

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