Korba Coalfield
Encyclopedia
Korba Coalfield is located in Korba district
in the India
n state
of Chhattisgarh
in the basin of the Hasdeo River
, a tributary of the Mahanadi
.
, total reserves (including proved, indicated and inferred reserves) of non-coking coal (as on 1.1.2004) in Korba Coalfield was 10,074.77 million tonnes, out of which 7,732.87 was up to a depth of 300 m and 2,341.90 million tonnes was at a depth of 300–600 m.
Coal mined at Korba coalfield generally has the following characteristics – moisture: 4.5–7.4 per cent, volatile matter: 27.9–39.2 per cent, fixed carbon: 34.1–47.7 per cent, ash content: 11.2–31.6 per cent.
activities in the Korba Coalfield are now being carried out. Korba Coalfield accounts for a major portion of coal mined by South Eastern Coalfields Limited
. The 2010 production of SECL was 101.15 tonnes, out of which 73.35 tonnes came from Korba Coalfield.
Sub-areas of Korba Coalfield are: Korba, Surakachhar, Rajgamar, Manikpur, Dhelwadih, Kushumunda and Gevra. The major working coalmines are: Surakachhar, Banki, Balgi, Rajgamar, Pavan, Manikpur, Dhewadih, Sinkhali, Bagdeva, Kusumunda, Laxman, Gevra and Dipka.
The main sources of pollution in the Korba area are coal-based power plants, smelter and open cast mines at Gevra, Dipka and Kusmunda. Large scale transportation of coal raises a pollution problem. Amongst steps taken or underway to check pollution in the area are: widening and repairs of roads in Gevra, Dipka and Kusmunda mines and procurement of Continuous Ambient Air Monitoring Stations at Gevra and Dipka mines.
are being established in Korba Coalfields. ACB (India) had set up a washery at Dipka in 1999, gradually upgrading capacity from 1 million tonnes per annum to 12 million tonnes per annum. The KJSL Coal Washery at Dhatura in Pali tehsil has an annual capacity of 2 million tonnes.
in the area consuming coal from Korba Coalfield. Korba Super Thermal Power Plant
of NTPC
has installed capacity of 2,600 MW. It gets coal from Gevra and Kusmunda mines.
Chhattisgarh State Power Generation Company Limited has three power stations in the area: Korba East Thermal Power Station has installed capacity of 440 MW, Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Thermal Power Station (Korba East) 500 MW, and Hasdeo Thermal Power Station (Korba West) 840 MW. The captive power plant of Balco
(BCPP) has an installed capacity of 270 MW. It is coming up with a 1,200 MW power expansion project.
Korba District
Korba District is an administrative district of Chhattisgarh state in central India. The city of Korba is the district headquarters.-Geography:...
in the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n state
States and territories of India
India is a federal union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. The states and territories are further subdivided into districts and so on.-List of states and territories:...
of Chhattisgarh
Chhattisgarh
Chhattisgarh is a state in Central India, formed when the 16 Chhattisgarhi-speaking South-Eastern districts of Madhya Pradesh gained separate statehood on 1 November 2000....
in the basin of the Hasdeo River
Hasdeo River
Hasdeo River is a tributary of Mahanadi river. The river flows in the state of Chattisgarh. It joins Mahanadi river near to Bilaigarh. Hasdeo Bango Dam is constructed across this river. The river originates about 910 m above sea level in a place about 10 km from Sonhat in Sarguja district of...
, a tributary of the Mahanadi
Mahanadi River
The Mahanadi in East Central India. It drains an area of around 141,600 km2 and has a total course of 858 km. The river flows through the states of Chhattisgarh and Orissa.-Source:...
.
The coalfield
Korba Coalfield is located between latitudes 220 15’ N and 220 30’ N and longitudes 820 15’ E and 82055 ’ E. Korba Coalfield covers an area of about 530 square kilometres (204.6 sq mi). According to Geological Survey of IndiaGeological Survey of India
Geological Survey of India , established in 1851 is a government organization in India which is an attached office to the Ministry of Mines of Union Government of India for conducting geological surveys and studies. It is one of the oldest of such organizations in the world and the second oldest...
, total reserves (including proved, indicated and inferred reserves) of non-coking coal (as on 1.1.2004) in Korba Coalfield was 10,074.77 million tonnes, out of which 7,732.87 was up to a depth of 300 m and 2,341.90 million tonnes was at a depth of 300–600 m.
Coal mined at Korba coalfield generally has the following characteristics – moisture: 4.5–7.4 per cent, volatile matter: 27.9–39.2 per cent, fixed carbon: 34.1–47.7 per cent, ash content: 11.2–31.6 per cent.
Operations
Though coal has been mined in Korba coalfields since 1941, large scale production could be initiated only on completion of the Champa-Korba rail link in 1955. Open cast miningOpen-pit mining
Open-pit mining or opencast mining refers to a method of extracting rock or minerals from the earth by their removal from an open pit or borrow....
activities in the Korba Coalfield are now being carried out. Korba Coalfield accounts for a major portion of coal mined by South Eastern Coalfields Limited
South Eastern Coalfields Limited
South Eastern Coalfields Limited is the largest coal producing company of India. It is one of the eight fully owned subsidiaries of Coal India Limited. The company has its head office at Bilaspur and mines spread over Chhattisgarh & Madhya Pradesh. It has total 92 Mines. Total Underground Mines...
. The 2010 production of SECL was 101.15 tonnes, out of which 73.35 tonnes came from Korba Coalfield.
Sub-areas of Korba Coalfield are: Korba, Surakachhar, Rajgamar, Manikpur, Dhelwadih, Kushumunda and Gevra. The major working coalmines are: Surakachhar, Banki, Balgi, Rajgamar, Pavan, Manikpur, Dhewadih, Sinkhali, Bagdeva, Kusumunda, Laxman, Gevra and Dipka.
Gevra Open Cast Mine
Gevra mine is an open cast mine complex at the town of Gevra that has been described as the largest open cast mine in India and Asia, as well as the world's second-largest. As of 2011 it has a capacity of 35 million tonnes per annum. It was opened in 1981. During 1999–2000, it produced over 18 million tonnes of coal and removed 12 million m3of overburden. In 2000, Gevra mine had a plan to expand from 12 million tonnes per annum to 25 million tonnes per annum. Actual production was raised from 18 million tonnes to 26 million tonnes annually in 3½ years. SECL reported that on 18 March 2007, Gevra Open Cast Mine produced 100,000 tonnes of coal, the highest quantity of coal ever produced by any mine or coalfield in India on a single day. Expansion of capacity of Gevra mine from 35 million tonnes annually to 43.75 million tonnes annually has been awaiting environmental clearance since 2009.Pollution
In a paper on “Assessment of impact of Coal and Minerals Related Industrial Activities in Korba Industrial Belt Through Spectroscopic Technique” by Rajesh Kumar, Gurdeep Singh and Asim Kumar Pal, the authors highlighted, “Korba Coalfield has been identified as one of the hot spots and the worst polluted area in India. There is widespread concern of air pollution due to emission of particulates from various mining and allied activities.”The main sources of pollution in the Korba area are coal-based power plants, smelter and open cast mines at Gevra, Dipka and Kusmunda. Large scale transportation of coal raises a pollution problem. Amongst steps taken or underway to check pollution in the area are: widening and repairs of roads in Gevra, Dipka and Kusmunda mines and procurement of Continuous Ambient Air Monitoring Stations at Gevra and Dipka mines.
Coal washeries
There is a pronounced degree of contamination in the coal from open cast mines. Such coal often has ash content averaging 40 per cent. Moreover, with multiple sources of supply, the quality is inconsistent. Even 6–8 per cent reduction in ash improves coal quality significantly. Coal preparation, or washing as it is commonly referred to, is both economical and environmentally beneficial. Coal washeriesCoal preparation plant
A coal preparation plant is a facility that washes coal of soil and rock, preparing it for transport to market. A CPP may also be called a "coal handling and preparation plant" , "prep plant," "tipple," or "wash plant"....
are being established in Korba Coalfields. ACB (India) had set up a washery at Dipka in 1999, gradually upgrading capacity from 1 million tonnes per annum to 12 million tonnes per annum. The KJSL Coal Washery at Dhatura in Pali tehsil has an annual capacity of 2 million tonnes.
Power plants
There are several coal-based thermal power stationsThermal power station
A thermal power station is a power plant in which the prime mover is steam driven. Water is heated, turns into steam and spins a steam turbine which drives an electrical generator. After it passes through the turbine, the steam is condensed in a condenser and recycled to where it was heated; this...
in the area consuming coal from Korba Coalfield. Korba Super Thermal Power Plant
Korba Super Thermal Power Plant
Korba Super Thermal Power Plant is located at Jamanipali in Chhattisgarh. The power plant is one of the Coal based power plants of NTPC.The unit wise capacity and other details are as follows....
of NTPC
National Thermal Power Corporation
NTPC Limited is the largest Indian state-owned energy service provider based in New Delhi, India. It is listed in Forbes Global 2000 for 2010 ranked it 341st in the world...
has installed capacity of 2,600 MW. It gets coal from Gevra and Kusmunda mines.
Chhattisgarh State Power Generation Company Limited has three power stations in the area: Korba East Thermal Power Station has installed capacity of 440 MW, Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Thermal Power Station (Korba East) 500 MW, and Hasdeo Thermal Power Station (Korba West) 840 MW. The captive power plant of Balco
Bharat Aluminium Company
Bharat Aluminium Company Ltd. is an Indian aluminium company. It was in the public sector until 2001, when it was taken over by Vedanta Resources, a company which is listed on the London Stock Exchange-History:...
(BCPP) has an installed capacity of 270 MW. It is coming up with a 1,200 MW power expansion project.