International conference on mining to begin from Sept 13

Mining majors Coal India Ltd, BEML and Hindustan Copper Ltd will exchange ideas on sustainable open cast mining at the two-day International Conference on Opencast Mining Technology and Sustainability from Friday at Singrauli in Madhya Pradesh, officials said.

The event will be hosted by Northern Coalfields Ltd on the eve of World Energy Conservation Day on September 14.

"The two-day conference aims at providing a forum for academicians and industry professionals to interact and exchange their knowledge in the field of open cast mines and energy," Northern Coalfields Ltd chairman and managing director Prabhat Kumar Sinha said.

Coal India Ltd will be represented by its chief A K Jha while Bharat Earth Movers Ltd (BEML) and Hindustan Copper Ltd will be represented by theirs, D K Hota and Santosh Sharma respectively.

The event gains importance in the wake of Coal Ministry's target to achieve annual one billion tonne coal production by 2024.

With green energy gaining traction, it is becoming more important for the coal industry to reorient itself to remain relevant in the energy sector in a sustainable manner, Sinha said.

IIT (BHU), Varanasi is a knowledge partner in the international event and its director P K Jain will deliberate on the subject, he added.