Tamil Nadu is the largest producer of lignite in the country. According to statistics released by the Union Ministry of Coal for 2022-23, Tamil Nadu accounted for 49.97% of the production, followed by Gujarat at 27.37% ,and Rajasthan at 22.67%.
NLC India Ltd., headquartered at Neyveli in Tamil Nadu, contributes a lion’s share of lignite production. The public sector undertaking (PSU) lists, as among its performance highlights, the all-time high coal and lignite production of 36.32 tonnes in 2023-24 across the country.
In Tamil Nadu, the NLCIL’s installed power generation capacity is 4,390 MW of thermal projects and 1,411 MW of renewable energy projects. Officials said some challenges in land acquisition had been overcome and that lignite production would be ramped up. However, much emphasis is also being laid on capacity addition through renewable energy sources.
“Sustainability has been in all our actions, since inception,” said Prasanna Kumar Motupalli, chairman and managing director, NLCIL. It was the first Central PSU to achieve 1 GW renewable energy capacity in India. The company has set as its target an installed capacity of 17.1 GW, including 6 GW renewable capacity, by 2030.
The environmental consequences of mining can be harsh. Green initiatives are being undertaken for the sustainable end use of land resources but more needs to be done on this aspect. At present, the focus is on scientific reclamation of mined lands. Going forward, there will be efforts to establish community-centric land uses such as restored forests and eco-parks, says the foreword to a report on “Greening Initiatives in Coal and Lignite PSUs” brought out by the Ministry of Coal.
In open cast mines, coal can be extracted only after removing layers of soil and stones. This soil and stone is known as overburden. This “overburden” is removed and treated for other uses in order to reduce the environmental impact of mining. Afforestation is another initiative that has been undertaken in some areas.
Photo:
B. Jothi Ramalingam
Dust to dust: Soil and stone removed from the lignite mine is piled high. It can be used to refill the mines after treatment to ensure sustainability.
Photo:
B. Jothi Ramalingam
Digging deep: Layers of soil and stone, known as overburden, being removed in search of lignite deposits.
Photo:
B. Jothi Ramalingam
Dunes of waste: An overburden dumpsite where environment-friendly reclamation is being planned.
Photo:
B. Jothi Ramalingam
Non-stop action: Specialised mining equipment excavating lignite.
Photo:
B. Jothi Ramalingam
Coal hunt: Specialised mining equipment, the bucket wheel excavator, being operated at a coal mine in Neyveli.
Photo:
B. Jothi Ramalingam
Hunger pangs: Workers take a meal break at the work site.
Photo:
B. Jothi Ramalingam
Efficient route: Lignite is loaded on a long-distance curved conveyor belt, to avoid vehicular transport inside the mine.
Photo:
B. Jothi Ramalingam
Ready to go: A transport system eases the carriage of lignite to the thermal plant for power generation.
Photo:
B. Jothi Ramalingam
Late shift: A view of the mine at night.
Photo:
B. Jothi Ramalingam
Nature’s way: Trees that grew naturally over the years in an overburden dump.
