Exploration of Coal and Lignite Scheme
Source : PIB
GS I : Distribution of key natural resources across the world (including South Asia and the Indian subcontinent)
What is discussed under Exploration of Coal and Lignite Scheme?
- Details of the scheme
- Coal Distribution in India
- Centralisation of Coal Mines
Why in News ?
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved the continuation of the Central Sector Scheme of “Exploration of Coal and Lignite scheme.”
- An estimated expenditure of Rs. 2980 crore from 2021-22 to 2025-26 co-terminus with the 15th Finance Commission cycle.
Key Facts
- The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by the Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi today approved the
Photo by Dominik Vanyi on Unsplash continuation of the Central Sector Scheme of “Exploration of Coal and Lignite scheme” with an estimated expenditure of Rs. 2980 crore from 2021-22 to 2025-26 co-terminus with the 15th Finance Commission cycle.
- Under this scheme, exploration for Coal and Lignite is conducted in two broad stages
- Promotional (Regional) Exploration
- Detailed Exploration in Non-Coal India Limited blocks.
- The approval will provide an outlay of Rs.1650 crore for Promotional (Regional) Exploration and Rs.1330 crore for Detailed Drilling in Non-CIL areas.
- Approximately, 1300 sq. km area will be covered under Regional exploration and approximately 650 sq. km area will be covered under Detailed exploration.
- Exploration for Coal and Lignite is required to prove and estimate coal resources available in the country which helps in preparing detailed project report to start coal mining.
- The Geological reports prepared through these exploration is used for auctioning new coal blocks and the cost is thereafter recovered from successful allocatee.
Coal Distribution in India
One of the vital minerals, coal is primarily employed in the production of thermal energy and the smelting of iron ore. Gondwana and tertiary deposits are the two primary geological eras in which coal may be found in rock sequences.
- India has the fourth largest coal reserves in the world.
- Coal deposits are primarily found in eastern and south-central India.
- Jharkhand, Odisha, and Chhattisgarh accounted for almost 70% of the total known coal reserves in India.
Centralisation of Coal Mines
- In 1973, the Coal Mines Authority of India was given control over all non-coking coal mines.
- Coal India Limited’s subsidiary Eastern Coalfields Limited was established in 1975.
- On February 20, 2018, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) ended the state-owned Coal India monopoly over commercial mining that it had held since nationalisation in 1973.
- This allowed private companies to enter the Indian coal mining business.
Distribution of Coal in India – Gondwana Coal: Gondwana Coalfields. Tertiary Coal: Tertiary Coalfields
Gondwana Coal: Gondwana Coalfields
- Jharkhand – Jharkhand has the largest coal reserves in India, with an estimated reserve of 81.02 billion tonnes.
- Chhattisgarh – Chhattisgarh is the second-largest coal-producing state in India.
- Odisha produces around 112 million tonnes of coal a year and is home to an estimated 44.84 billion tonnes of coal reserves.
- West Bengal – West Bengal has an estimated reserve of 33.092 billion tonnes and produces around 28 million tonnes of coal annually.
- Madhya Pradesh – Madhya Pradesh has an estimated reserve of 30.217 billion tonnes and produces around 27 million tonnes of coal annually.
- Telangana – Telangana has an estimated reserve of 22.851 billion tonnes and produces around 26 million tonnes of coal annually.
- Maharashtra – Maharashtra has an estimated reserve of 12.936 billion tonnes and produces around 12 million tonnes of coal annually.
- Andhra Pradesh – Andhra Pradesh has an estimated reserve of 8.69 billion tonnes and produces around 9 million tonnes of coal annually.
Tertiary Coal
- Meghalaya – Meghalaya with an estimated reserve of 0.576 billion tonnes.
- Assam – with an estimated reserve of 0.525 billion tonnes.
- Nagaland with an estimated reserve of 0.446 billion tonnes.
- Sikkim with an estimated reserve of 0.101 billion tonnes.
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