MAHAGENCO starts operations at Chhattisgarh's Gare Palma coal mine

MAHAGENCO, Maharashtra’s state power generation company, on Thursday commenced operations at its coal mine in Chhattisgarh’s Gare Palma Sector II block in Raigarh district, with the Adani Group serving as the mine developer and operator. 

 

The box cut activity at the mine was launched in the presence of MAHAGENCO’s Chairman and Managing Director B Radhakrishnan. 

 

The company has obtained all the required environmental, forest, mining, and administrative clearances for this project. 

 

The mine was allotted to the company by the coal ministry in a re-auction in August 2015.

 

“The mine was formally inaugurated, and the box cut activity was successfully carried out in the presence of local villagers and administrative officials. Coal production from the mine is planned to begin in January,” officials at MAHAGENCO said.  

 

Radhakrishnan said that the company would continue to contribute to employment creation, revenue growth, and social responsibility initiatives, including education, health care, and skill development.  

 

The GP-II coal mine project is one of the largest in Chhattisgarh, with an annual production capacity of 23.6 million tonnes (mt). The mine will play a crucial role in meeting Maharashtra’s energy requirements, particularly ensuring coal supply to thermal power plants such as Chandrapur, Koradi, and Parli. This will enable the national grid to receive over 3,200 megawatts of electricity, said a press release.

 

The company officials said the operation of the mine will significantly reduce India’s dependence on coal imports and strengthen the country’s path towards energy self-reliance with the use of domestic coal resources. It is a major step towards realising the vision of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’. 

 

The project will generate around 3,400 direct and thousands of indirect employment opportunities. It will also bring substantial revenue to the Chhattisgarh government in the form of royalty, GST, and other taxes, which will support social welfare and regional development. 

 

The officials added that to maintain ecological balance, the company has committed to planting 5.64 million saplings of native species over 2,256.60 hectares within 32 years.