Mishap raises question over MCL overburden stacking

Even as kins of people killed in coal mine overburden dump collapse in Sundergarh district refused to accept the bodies of the deceased for cremation demanding higher compensation, questions are being raised over the safety standards followed in stacking of coal mine overburdens in the state.

Ten people were killed in the accident on Saturday.

Sources said, overburdens of Kulda-Basundhara open-cast mines under Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd (MCL) were being stacked up to much higher height vis-a-vis the prescribed norms.

"The overburden stack height at this particular place should have been within 30 meters. But the stacks were maintained at a much higher height", said Ajay Biswal, all India secretary, Bharat Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), who visited the accident site soon after the mishap.

He alleged, in most of the MCL mines, the overburden stacks were higher than the prescribed norms and the company authorities overlooked the violation on the plea of space constraint. There was also no benching of the stacks as required under the safety rule", he added.

Biswal pointed out that the overburdens are not being properly screened as a result of which some amount of coal are left in the overburden soil, attracting the local villagers to collect the material for sale to coal traders.

Besides, except for putting up a "prohibited area" sign board near the overburden dumps, there was not attempt by the authorities to raise fencing around the place or deploy security personnel to keep the coal pickers away from the site.

However, a MCL spokesperson refused the allegations. He said, the overburden heights at Kulda-Basundhara were maintained within the prescribed norms. Besides, care is taken to remove coal from the overburden and what is left in the dumped soil are coal rejects (known as shale), which is of no commercial value to MCL. He also pointed out that it was not possible to fence the overburden dumping area as the coal mine operations are always expanding.

Meanwhile, tension prevailed at Balinga village, the site of the accident, with the kins of villagers killed on Saturday refusing to receive the victims' bodies for cremation demanding higher compensation.

They demanded at least Rs 25 lakh compensation and a job to one member of the family of each of the deceased and action against guilty MCL officials.

Local political leaders from Congress, BJP and ruling BJD visited bereaved families and expressed solidarity with their demands. The villagers, during the day, gheraoed the Balinga police station and sat on dharna in front of the MCL office.

Earlier the Odisha government and MCL had announced ex-gratis of Rs 2 lakh and Rs 3 lakh respectively for family of the each decased.