PM Advisor Tarun Kapoor Reviews BCCL Operations and Jharia Rehabilitation Plans
The review was part of Kapoor's two-day visit to Dhanbad and key locations in the region from August 31 to September 1. He was accompanied by a high-level delegation and senior officials from Coal India, BCCL, the Ministry of Coal, Railways and other departments.
BCCL CMD Shri Manoj Kumar Agarwal presented the company's operational performance, key achievements, challenges and future action plans. Director (Technical/Operations) Shri Sanjay Kumar Singh also briefed the meeting on production, strategic initiatives and planned projects.
The review covered BCCL's coal production and offtake, reserves, operational capacity and production targets up to 2030-31. The performance and future potential of underground and opencast mines, along with overburden removal, were also assessed.
The meeting reviewed the deployment of mining technologies such as Longwall Mining and Highwall Mining, as well as plans to expand the use of Surface Miners and Continuous Miners. The restructuring of opencast blocks in the Jharia Coalfield and redevelopment of discontinued mines through the MDO/Revenue Sharing model were also discussed.
The performance and expansion plans of coal washeries and initiatives to improve coal quality were also reviewed. Kapoor emphasised BCCL's strategic role in meeting India's coking coal requirements and called for scientific and optimal utilisation of resources, capacity enhancement and improved operational efficiency.
During the visit, Kapoor inspected BCCL's Coal Bed Methane (CBM) Block-I Project and reviewed gas extraction technology, project progress and implementation plans. He also visited the Moonidih XVI Seam Longwall Project to assess mechanised underground mining operations and their role in ensuring a reliable supply of prime coking coal.
Kapoor further inspected the ENA Fire Project in the Kusunda Area, where he reviewed fire management, safety measures, scientific fire detection and thermal and satellite-based monitoring. He also examined excavation and phased rehabilitation measures for affected areas.
At Kusunda, Kapoor interacted with families living in high-risk areas and discussed their safety and rehabilitation concerns. He also interacted with BCCL's Area General Managers to understand operational and administrative challenges and the measures being taken to address them.
On September 1, Kapoor was scheduled to visit the Belgaria and Karmatand rehabilitation sites and review issues related to the Revised Jharia Master Plan with stakeholders.
Published on:
02 September 2026
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