water resources: Sustainable utilisation of coal mine water resources by PSUs results in benefit for around 17.7 lakh people

New Delhi: The government on Wednesday said the sustainable utilisation of mine water resources by public sector companies under the coal ministry has benefitted 17.7 lakh people across 981 villages of nine states. In the course of coal mining operations, a substantial volume of mine water accumulates in mine sumps.

This stored mine water serves a range of community purposes, including domestic and drinking water supply, irrigation of agricultural fields, groundwater replenishment, and various industrial applications like dust suppression and heavy machinery washing.

“During the fiscal 2022-23, CPSEs (Central Public Sector Enterprises) discharged approximately 8,130 Lakh m3 of mine water, with 46 per cent allocated for community uses such as domestic and irrigation purposes, 49 per cent for internal domestic and industrial needs, and six per cent reserved for groundwater recharge initiatives,” the coal ministry said in a statement.

To ensure the suitability of mine water for drinking and irrigation purposes, several treatment methods have been implemented. Numerous steps have been undertaken to provide access to safe and clean water for communities throughout the year.

Located within the premises of Ningah Colliery of Coal India arm, Eastern Coalfields Ltd (ECL), in Paschim Bardhaman district of West Bengal, a state-of-the-art reverse osmosis filter plant with a capacity of 5,000 litres per hour has been set up.

This plant treats pumped-out mine water, providing safe drinking water and water for domestic use to nearby villages and colonies. In Shahdol and Anuppur districts of Madhya Pradesh, underground seepage water from Damini, Khairaha, Rajendra, and Navgaon underground mines is channeled into the Sarafa River. Prior to release, this water undergoes purification through step-by-step filtration processes at the Sarafa Dam. The treated water is then used for agricultural purposes in the areas surrounding the mines.

Additionally, two filtration plants with a combined gross capacity of nine lakh litres have been established, benefiting over 5,000 residents in the neighbouring villages of Khannath and Chirhiti.