South Eastern Coalfields to turn old mine in Chhattisgarh into tourism hub

The South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL) will develop the now closed opencast Manikpur Pokhari mine in Korba district of Chhattisgarh as an eco-tourism destination.

This will be the second eco-tourism site that the Chhattisgarh-based entity of mining major Coal India Limited (CIL) will develop in the state. Earlier, the closed mine at Kenapara in Surajpur district was converted by the SECL as an eco-tourism site.

A company spokesperson said Kenapara spot had become a tourist destination in the state as people thronged the place to enjoy boating and other activities. Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi had praised the tourist destination through a tweet, the spokesperson added.

Under the project, SECL, along with Korba Municipal Corporation, will spend over Rs 11 crore to develop Manikpur Pokhari as an eco-tourism destination, the company official said. Manikpur opencast is now converted into a kilometer long and 300-meter-wide pond. 

Spread over 8 hectares, the Manikpuri Pokhari pond will have a boating facility, floating restaurant, garden in the Pokhari complex, selfie zone, children's play area, climbing wall, repelling wall, zipline roller coaster, and musical fountain among others.

Manikpur OC was one of the first mines in Korba district. In the year 1966, coal mining started in Manikpur with Russian technical consultation. After 24 years, the mining activities were stopped as ground water started filing the mines.

According to the officials, water sources surfaced after digging for 100 meters. The volume of water was so enormous that even big motor pumps could not get it out. Many machines and equipment were submerged in water. Finally, the management decided to close the mine in 1990-91.  

“With the completion of the project, people of Korba district will not only get a new tourist destination but will also get new sources of livelihood that will help upgrade the socio-economic condition,” the SECL spokesperson said.

Recently, the company released Rs 5.60 crore to the district collector of Korba to expedite the project.

About 16 per cent of the national coal production comes from Korba district and houses power plants having 6,428 MW capacity. Not only the country but Asia's largest coal mines are located in the district.

The project falls under Coal India’s initiative to convert closed and abandoned mines into ecotourism sites across the country, which will create new tourist spots and provide more employment opportunities to the locals.