Chhattisgarh’s Gevra and Kusmunda Mines Among World’s Largest Coal Mines
South Eastern Coalfields Limited’s (SECL) Gevra and Kusmunda coal mines in Chhattisgarh have secured the 2nd and 4th spots in the list of the world’s 10 largest coal mines released by WorldAtlas.com. Located in the Korba district, these two mines produce over 100 million tons of coal annually, accounting for about 10% of India’s total coal production.
Gevra Opencast Mine
The Gevra opencast mine has an annual production capacity of 70 million tons and produced 59 million tons of coal in the financial year 2023-24. The mine started operations in 1981 and has enough coal reserves to meet the country’s energy requirements for the next 10 years.
Kusmunda Opencast Mine
The Kusmunda opencast mine produced more than 50 million tons of coal in the financial year 2023-24, making it the second mine in India after Gevra to achieve this feat.
Advanced Mining Technology
These mines use some of the world’s largest and most advanced mining machines, such as the ‘Surface Miner’ for eco-friendly mining operations. For overburden removal, they use large HEMMs like 240-ton dumpers and 42 cubic meters Shovels along with Vertical Rippers for environment-friendly and blast-free operations.
SECL CMD’s Statement
SECL CMD Prem Sagar Mishra expressed pride in this achievement and thanked the Coal Ministry, environment ministry, state government, Coal India, Railways, various stakeholders, and coal workers for their tireless efforts. He noted that coal production has grown from 382.62 million tons in 2004-05 to 893.19 million tons in 2022-23, with a target of reaching 1000 million tons in 2023-24.
Doubts Revealed
Chhattisgarh -: Chhattisgarh is a state in central India known for its rich mineral resources, including coal.
Gevra and Kusmunda Mines -: Gevra and Kusmunda are names of two large coal mines located in Chhattisgarh, India.
Coal Mines -: Coal mines are places where coal is dug out from the earth. Coal is used as a fuel to produce electricity and other energy.
South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL) -: SECL is a company in India that operates coal mines. It is one of the largest coal-producing companies in the country.
WorldAtlas.com -: WorldAtlas.com is a website that provides information about different places and things around the world, like the largest coal mines.
100 million tons -: 100 million tons is a very large amount of coal. One ton is equal to 1,000 kilograms.
10% of India’s total coal production -: This means that the coal from these two mines makes up one-tenth of all the coal produced in India.
SECL CMD Prem Sagar Mishra -: CMD stands for Chairman and Managing Director. Prem Sagar Mishra is the person in charge of SECL.
Stakeholders -: Stakeholders are people or groups who have an interest in a company or project, like workers, investors, and the community.
