Coal mining resumes at NEC's Tikak Colliery in Assam's Tinsukia

Mining operations at NEC, a unit of Coal India Limited (CIL), were halted due to environment-related issues in 2020

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Coal India-arm North Eastern Coalfields on Saturday resumed its mining operations at Tikak colliery in Assam, a statement said on Saturday.

Mining operations at NEC were halted owing to non-availability of land for overburden dump and certain clearances.

"Coal mining operations at North Eastern Coalfields (NEC), a unit of world's largest coal company Coal India Ltd (CIL), resumed on Saturday with the Union Minister of Coal, Mines and Parliamentary Affairs Pralhad Joshi inaugurating resumption of mining operations at Tikak colliery of NEC," according to an official statement.

Chief Minister of Assam Himanta Biswa Sarma was also present on the occasion.

"Today we have resumed mining operations at Tikak colliery and it is a very important step towards development of the region. The coal quality of NEC is superior and it is in high demand by several of India's domestic industries," Joshi said.

NEC presently operates in Tikak colliery in Margherita, Assam with two opencast projects (OCPs) namely Tikak OCP and Tikak Extension OCP with a combined coal production capacity of four lakh tonne per annum. NEC will also start producing coal from its Tirap OCP from upcoming fiscal 2022-23. NEC has planned to produce 10 lakh tonne of coal from 2023-24.

"Increased production in the mines will generate more revenues for the State Government, more employment for the people and also support small business activities, while catering to the energy demand," Joshi added.

Coal India accounts for over 80 per cent of country's coal production.