Kulda coal project set to open in December

Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd (MCL) is set to start the operations at the Kulda open cast mine at Belpahad, under the IB valley coalfield, with an annual production capacity of ten million tonnes of coal from December 1.

The open cast mine along with Bhubaneswar and Kaniha deposits of MCL had received approval of the Union cabinet for starting operations in January 2005.

However, there was a minor delay in opening up the mine, said a top MCL official. The total estimated cost of the project with F grade coal reserve is slated to be Rs 303 crore.

Of the three new coal projects approved by the Centre for MCL, only Bhubaneswar mine having an annual capacity of 20 tonnes at Talcher was operationalised in last February. The Kaniha open cast mine in Talcher Coalfield is yet to start work. The authorities hope to raise coal from Kaniha mine in January next year. The rehabilitation and resettlement issues of the project are being settled now.

The three new projects are extremely crucial for MCL to meet the coal demands from the power plants across the country in coming years as its existing coal mines are over-stretched. Meanwhile, company authorities cleared 91 names of the land oustees for jobs in the mine in lieu of their land, thus paving a way for the initiation of work on Kulda project, which has been hanging for last two years. The total number jobs demanded by the local oustees are 380.

"If all goes well, the coal mining may start from February next year to help the company achieve the target of 88 million tonnes coal production in the current financial year," said the source.

All the 1,001 hectares for the Kulda project has been acquired under the Coal Bearing Act, said the Director (technical) of MCL VK Jain. Of this, 375 hectares are forest land while the government land is estimated to be 125 hectares.