Hyderabad: The Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) received a major boost after the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) granted preliminary clearance for the Ramagundam coal mine project. Formal approval is expected within days.
Welcoming the clearance, SCCL chairman and managing director Dr Buddhaprakash Jyoti called the project a milestone. With an annual capacity of 21 million tonnes, it is the company’s highest‑capacity venture to date.
The project is designed to offset declining output from ageing mines and tap 314.98 million tonnes of recoverable reserves across two opencast and three underground mines. Coal will be supplied mainly to NTPC Ramagundam and other industries under fuel supply agreements.
The plan converts the closed GDK‑10 Incline and soon‑to‑be‑closed Vakilpalli underground mine into opencast operations, while integrating residual reserves from Ramagundam Opencast Project‑1 Expansion Phase‑II, Ramagundam Opencast Project‑2 Expansion and Adriyala Shaft Underground Expansion.
By leveraging existing approvals, the project minimises fresh investment and environmental impact, extending the operational life of the Ramagundam region by about 25 years. Of the total reserves, 182.28 million tonnes will be mined opencast and 132.70 million tonnes underground.
The initiative will redeploy workers from closing mines, preserve jobs and sustain local economic activity. Around 5,500 employees are expected to benefit, making the project a key support system for the region.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: deccanchronicle.com
