CIL to install Rs 300 cr GPS tracking system in major mines

World's largest miner Coal India (CIL), which is grappling with meeting production targets, plans to install GPS-based movement tracking system to increase output in its major mines.

CIL plans to cover all major projects (mines) under the GPS-based movement tracking system at an estimated cost of Rs 300 crore, after the Coal Ministry encouraged it for the same, sources said.

“We are almost finished with the first phase of the installation of GPS-based coal handling and mining vehicle tracking system. It has been done at a cost of nearly Rs 150 crore in 11 mines that produce 5 million tonne coal per year,” a CIL official told PTI.

These projects are being implemented by software major Wipro and Leica Geosystems and they are supposed to complete the project by this month. Recently, Wipro chief Azim Premji also met CIL Chairman N C Jha in Kolkata.

“The Coal Ministry is keen on Operator Independent Truck dispatch Systems. It will be expanded to 10-11 other major mines following a review of the same. Meanwhile, CIL requires Rs 1,000 crore to cover all mines under the GPS system,” the official said. The project will ensure higher productivity and speedy coal evacuation, officials said.

Coal minister Sriprakash Jaiswal recently said coal companies have been slow in implementing mechanisation in the mines. The Ministry had suggested the system for all mines to prevent theft of coal and increase productivity. CIL has suggested that GPS system is one of the tools to achieve this which was appreciated by the Ministry.

A couple of years ago, an internal study done by CIL showed that losses could run over Rs 50,000 if a 170-tonne truck at any of CIL mines remained idle for half-an-hour.

This figure would be double if the truck was of larger capacity - 240 tonnes. CIL has around 400 mines and some 30,000 heavy-duty mining vehicles.