CURRENT NEWS
JANUARY, 2009
DVC gets 72 hrs to Assess Fly Ash Hazard at Mejia Thermal
Kolkata, January 14: The Expert Committee constituted by the pollution control appellate authority; gave Damodar Valley Corporation 72 hours from Tuesday, to install monitoring stations in Mejia in order to assess the gamut of pollution during excavation and transportation of the fly ash generated by the Mejia Thermal Power Station. Though the evacuation of the fly ash, which was dumped over the years but not cleared out earlier, was started more than two weeks ago, the pollution monitoring system was not installed.
The residents of the local Lotiabani village, who had blockaded the ash pond gate to resist the evacuation of fly ash from November 15 to December 29, 2008, said that they were suffering from pollution during the daytime evacuation. On Tuesday; the state Pollution Control Board handed over a cheque of Rs one lakh to Gour Pada Sen, additional district magistrate of Bankura as a cost of medical relief for the villagers of Lotiabani, and also for community development. Biswajit Mukherjee, member convener of the committee said, "We are very much concerned regarding the health hazards and suffering of the local villagers, who are the victims of the fly ash pollution generated by MTPS over the years. The medical team has been already set up. The members of the expert committee will visit Mejia next week."
On Tuesday the expert committee members in presence of the additional district magistrate of Bankura met DVC, the owner of the MTPS to stalk the situation and expressed their grievances to some extent after receiving information that the evacuation process was being carried out without the installation of pollution monitoring machineries. Amal Sarkar, chief engineer of the MTPS however said, "We are not experts at pollution monitoring. That is the reason why we could not install the pollution measuring machines. We do not know where to install the system and how to operate it. It has been decided that experts from PCB would come and install the pollution monitoring system." A senior scientist of PCB would supervise the installation. The entire cost of installation and monitoring would be borne by the MTPS authority.
At present the duration of the evacuation of fly ash is mostly from 6 pm to 6 am. The dumpers, which carry the fly ash make on an average, 100 trips every day. However, the DVC authority is not satisfied; and said that the number of trips should be 250-300.
[Source: Hindustan Times]
Fire in Illegal Coal Mine
Asansol, January 13 : Smoke Billowing from an illegal mine caused panic in three villages, whose inhabitants fear that they are headed for the disaster. The under ground blaze began on Tuesday morning at Ratibati area of Raniganj in Burdwan.
The villagers around the Ratibati fear the fire might rapidly increase towards the densely populated area. Monotosh Bauri, a villager told HT that "In Raniganj, rampant illegal mining is going on. For this reason the ground is cracking and fire coming out from the cracks. On Tuesday, nearly 15 acres came under subsidence and fire and smoke came out of the fissures. "We informed the matter to the local police several times but no one seems interested in stopping illegal mining," said a villager.
[Source: Hindustan Times]
Renewed plea on mining- Atomic energy department asks NGOs to reconsider stand
Shillong, Jan. 6, 2009: The Uranium Mining Corporation of India (UCIL) today launched a fresh drive to begin mining in the state using science as a tool to educate people, as the department of atomic energy pleaded with the NGOs to reconsider their opposition to exploration.
Swapnesh Kumar Malhotra, head of the public awareness division of the department of atomic energy, today said some of the country’s nuclear reactors were running low on their installed capacity and hence “it has become all the more urgent to start mining” in Meghalaya.
He spoke to reporters on the sidelines of the National Science Congress here where the UCIL has put up a pavilion at the Pride of India exhibition. The Centre’s appeal came a few days after the Khasi Students Union (KSU) — one of the main pressure groups — once again expressed its opposition to uranium mining.
The students’ body also submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during his visit to the state to inaugurate the science congress on January 3. The KSU urged the Prime Minister not to take recourse to “inducement, coercion, intimidation and force” to carry out mining in the state and asked the Centre to cancel the project. It cited a public hearing held on June 12, 2007, at the mining site, where 75 per cent of the public had “opposed” the move.
Malhotra, taking a cue from the Prime Minister, said the Centre would ensure all safety measures before going ahead. The UCIL has even put up bilingual banners and posters — in English and Khasi — to educate the people about the “harmless nature” of uranium mining to counter the long-standing opposition of several NGOs in Mawthabah in West Khasi Hills. The UCIL officials said radiation because of uranium mining was nothing compared to the emission of radiation from other sources. “The radiation released from the nuclear industry is only 0.15 per cent compared to radiation from nature like the cosmic rays,” Malhotra said.
The UCIL also asked the NGOs and the people of the state who oppose uranium mining in West Khasi Hills to understand that radiation from uranium mining would not harm the ecology or human life. There are 10,000 tonnes of uranium oxide in Mawthabah and if this is mined, the problem related to the shortage of uranium which the country’s nuclear reactors are facing, can be solved. “At present, the nuclear reactors are facing a 30 per cent to 40 per cent shortage of indigenous uranium-oxide and if UCIL is given the green signal to mine uranium in West Khasi Hills, we can tide over the crisis,” Malhotra said.
The official made it clear that the international nuclear deals, which India had entered into with various countries, including the US, do not indicate that India has to forego the indigenous nuclear sources in the country. “The international nuclear deal is over and above the existing indigenous nuclear programmes and we will pursue tapping uranium-mining sites in many parts of the country,” Malhotra said. Stressing that Meghalaya’s uranium deposits are the largest and the richest in the whole country, the official said once mining is carried out, it would bring development to the impoverished West Khasi Hills district. The general manager of UCIL, P. Roy, and the officer on special duty, F.D. Rynjah, who were present at Nehu today, admitted that they need various other clearances before finally launching the project.
“We are ready any time and even the state government itself is not averse to uranium mining in West Khasi Hills,” Malhotra said. However, in the context of pro and anti-uranium mining lobbies reiterating varied views, the UCIL wanted a consensus before starting mining. “We want to carry out uranium mining in an amicable way and do not want any hurdles once mining begins,” Malhotra said, a day before the congress comes to an end.
[Source: http://www.telegraphindia.com]
SCCL in talks with Hindustan Global for JV
New Delhi, Jan 5, 2009: Public sector coal mining firm Singareni Collieries Company (SCCL) is in advanced talks with Hindustan Global Resources (HGR), an Australian firm owned by a group of non resident Indians(NRIs) to set up a joint venture to get coal-to-briquette technology into India.
Jointly owned by the state government of Andhra Pradesh and the government of India, SCCL, is likely to hold a majority stake in the JV that will entail investments of Rs 50 crore initially. Coal briquetting process is a technology which converts inferior quality coal fines, tailings and washery rejects to eco-friendly briquettes, which are later used by steel and power producers.
The coal cleaning technology will help SCCL in utilising coal waste, which is otherwise dumped into rivers and thereby polluting water. If left unattended, coal fines and tailings sometime seeps into the soil and may cause soil erosion. The proposed JV is expected to get finalised during the first quarter of next fiscal. We, in collaboration with SCCL, intend to set up 10 briquette plants across different locations in the initial phase.
The number of plants would be scaled up if required. The shareholding would be restricted to the joint venture partners, said HGR vice-president Amar Bhasin. Currently, SCCL operates 13 opencast and 42 underground mines in Andhra Pradesh with total coal reserves of about 8.5-bn tonne.
While initially only coal waste would be converted into briquette, HGR will take the charge of converting even normal coal into briquette at later stages to enhance the quality.
The coal-to-briquette technology, which was invented by Mark De llmico, an independent director and scientist with HGR, can be applied to both thermal and coking coal. While coking coal is used in steel making, thermal coal is used for power generation.
Besides coal wastes, some agricultural additives also goes into making briquette which burns eight times more than wood and does not emit harmful greenhouse gases. Countries such as Australia, New Zealand and China are already ahead of India in implementing the technology.
[http://economictimes.indiatimes.com]
New royalty rates for uranium mining in India
January 5, 2008: BL reported that the Indian government has revised the royalty rates to be paid to States for mining of uranium. According to a decision taken by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, states would now be paid royalty on uranium mining on an ad valorem basis, equivalent to 2% of compensation received by Uranium Corporation of India Ltd. Royalty for uranium was earlier being levied on a tonnage basis system.
Mr. Kapil Sibal minister for Science and Technology said that while the Government is working on a proposal for revising royalty rates for all minerals, a considered decision has been taken to enhance the royalty rates of uranium immediately, keeping in mind the fact that uranium is a strategic mineral and where mining is restricted to the public sector. He said that the Government has taken several initiatives to streamline the exploration and mining of uranium.
The issue of fair compensation to States for scarce reserves mined in their jurisdiction was earlier referred to a Study Group comprising representatives of the Department of Mines, the Department of Atomic Energy, the Indian Bureau of Mines and the governments of mineral rich Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Orissa and Rajasthan.
The group recommended that compensation paid by the Government to public sector undertakings involved in mining and processing uranium should be used as a reference point for determining royalty payable to the States, for the sake of transparency.
[Source: http://steelguru.com]
Indian Mines Ministry Refers Tata Steel and DeBeers' Diamond Mining Proposals to Andhra Pradesh Govt.
January 4, 2009: Proposals for mineral concessions by private sector Indian steel major Tata Steel and the global diamond exploration company De Beers have been referred to the Andhra Pradesh government for further action.
The government recently authorized a reconnaissance permit for the global diamond mining company Rio Tinto Exploration Company for the conduction of a preliminary survey for diamonds and other precious minerals including gold, copper, lead, zinc, silver, bismuth and cadmium. Also approved by the government was a proposal by Adi Gold Mining Ltd to prospect diamonds, copper, lead, zinc, gold, silver, antimony, cadmium, bismuth, tungsten, pyrite, pyrhotite, nickel, cobalt, chromium, platinum and iron ore over a total area of 3,504.39 sq km in Madhya Pradesh’s Seoni, Narsinghpur and Hoshangabad districts.
In addition, a proposal by NAD Pvt for prospecting for iron ore, manganese ore, titanium, vanadium and nickel was also approved over a 2458 sq. km area in the Sidhi district of Madhya Pradesh.
Tata Steel applied for mining leases of minerals like manganese ore, rutile and illemenite, while De Beers India sought a prospecting license for diamonds and associated minerals. De Beers is seeking a prospecting license for an area of over 60 sq km in the Gooty reserved forest and Kurnool areas of Andhra Pradesh. During the period between 2000 and 2008, India’s central government has approved proposals for mineral prospecting by 279 companies over a total area of 3,90,308.094 sq km.
[Source: http://www.israelidiamond.co.il/]
Achievements/Initiatives of Ministry of Mines in 2008
Jan 2, 2008: The year 2008 witnessed the various initiatives taken by the Ministry of Mines during the past one year which include formulation of the New National Mineral Policy; Navratna status conferred on NALCO, Mini-Ratna status conferred on HCL; MECL planning to increase its revenue by entering into new activities; GSI acquiring heliborne survey system fitted with sensors for improving the quality of exploration; Indian Bureau of Mines preparing a mining tenement system which would provide online data to the miners etc.
The New National Mineral Policy of India: The new National Mineral Policy was approved by the Government of India on 18.3.2008 which includes the following major changes:
- Encouraging private sector participation in exploration through seamless concessions with transferability
- Foreign equity investments in joint venture with Indian comapanies
- Facillitation of access to risk funds for capital markets and venture funds
- Creation of a online Registry Mining Tenement system
- Creation of independent Mining Appellate Tribunal
Royalty Rates of Minerals: Ministry of Mines set up a Study Group under the chairmanship of Additional Secretary (Mines) to consider revision of rates of royalty and dead rent on major minerals (other than coal, lignite and sand for stowing) and to make appropriate recommendations to the Government. The Study Group submitted its report on 27.09.2007 to the Government which is being examined in consultation with the Ministries/ Departments concerned.
Prevention of illegal mining: In order to take effective steps for prevention of illegal mining, State Governments have been empowered to frame Rules under Section 23C of the MMDR Act, 1957.
National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO)
Navratna status conferred on NALCO on 28th April, 2008.
2nd phase expansion of the Company, approved by the Government to be completed by the end of this financial year after which various capacities will be as under:-
Bauxite mines - 63.00 lakh Tonnes Per Annum(TPA)
Alumina refinery - 21.00 lakh TPA
Aluminium smelter - 4.60 lakh TPA
Achievement of production targets in respect of bauxite, alumina hydrate, aluminium cast metal and domestic sales target in respect of aluminium upto November, 2008.
Hindustan Copper Limited (HCL) :
Miniratna status (Category-1) has been conferred on HCL
“Zero debt Company” by paying all outstanding debts
Introduced ERP(Enterprise Resource Planning) system
Other IT interventions, e-banking, e-procuement
Technology upgradation and debottlenecking of Smelter at Indian Copper
Complex (ICC) in the state of Jharkhand completed. Capacity of the Smelter enhanced from 16500 TPA to 20500 TPA
Introduced “Hedging” as a risk management tool Stabilised production from one of the closed mines at Surda at ICC
Introduced a ‘Corporate Social Responsibility’ programme with allocation of 0.5% of net profit on a sustained basis.
During the year, two establishments of the company, where more than 80% of the employees have acquired working knowledge of Hindi, were notified under Rule 10(4) of The Official Language Rules, 1976 by the Ministry of Mines.
Mineral Exploration Corporation Limited (MECL):
The upward trend in physico financial performance of the company has been maintained during 2008-09. The drilling performance cumulatively up to November ’08, has been 132042 m representing 99% of MoU target and it is 105% of same period of the previous year.
The performance in gross revenue is Rs. 6099 lakhs which is 80% of MoU target and 103% of the same period of the previous year. The Gross margin stood at Rs. 631 lakhs and the company earned a net profit of Rs. 249 lakhs (after tax). Both these achievements are 113% & 137 % respectively as compared with the corresponding period of previous year.
A total of 31 work orders valued at Rs. 268.05 crores were received from various clients such as M/s. DGH for drilling of core holes for CBM studies, M/s. NMDC for exploration of coal, M/s. SAIL for exploration of iron ore and dolomite in their mine area, M/s. UCIL for developmental mining work and other agencies.
MECL completed successfully the deep drilling for exploration of evaporite in the Bikaner – Nagaur basin of Rajasthan which is prestigious project of M/s. ONGC.
Expansion programme : For long term sustenance, MECL plans to increase its revenue further from the present level of around Rs. 95.00 crores, by entering into the following new activities.
Recently M/s. NMDC has awarded the work of coal exploration on turn key basis from planning to 3D modeling in Shahpur East & West blocks allotted to them for captive mining. MECL has already commenced the work.
Major Initiatives:
Exploration in North Eastern Region :
During 2008-09, MECL has taken up the coal exploration work under promotional exploration programme funded by Ministry of Coal at West of Tirap, Makum Coalfield, Distt. Tinsukhia, Assam.
MECL proposes to take up two exploration project under promotional funding of Ministry of Mines viz. 1) Jiajuri block for glass sand in Nagaon district Assam at an estimated cost of Rs. 187.65 lakhs). 2) Exploration for dolomite in Rupa dolomite prospect in West Kameng district Arunachal Pradesh, at an estimated cost of Rs. 314.16 Lakhs.
Further to above, on behalf of Directorate General of Hydrocarbon, Govt. of India, MECL with BRGM France is continuing studies for resource estimation in respect of oil shale deposit in an area of 254 sq.km. of Assam & Arunachal Pradesh. This will help in revealing the oil potential in the shales of North Eastern Region of the country.
MECL has submitted progress report-II on 30th June 2008. The work of next phase is under progress and has successfully completed a borehole (Coring) upto a depth of 740 m.
Geological Survey of India:
The Government has approved the acquisition of a new deep sea going research vessel for Geological Survey of India at an estimated cost of Rs. 448 crores for carrying out seabed survey and exploration of non-living resources. Procurement action for the Research Vessel is on.
The Government has decided for setting up of a High Powered Committee to thoroughly review the functioning of Geological Survey of India and assess its capacity to meet the emerging challenges taking into the organization’s technological and man power resources.
Geological Survey of India is acquiring heliborne survey system fitted with sensors for improving the quality of exploration and for tapping deep seated mineral resources in addition to updating the techniques for ground geological and geophysical survey, precision analytical instruments and deep capacity drills.
[Source: http://pib.nic.in]
Revision of Rates of Royalty and Dead Rent for Uranium
January 2, 2009: The CCEA has approved the revision of the rates of royalty for uranium as per recommendations of the Study Group. Accordingly, royalty rates for Uranium would be levied on ad-valorem basis on the basis of compensation amount paid to the Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL), at the rate of 2% of the compensation amount received by the UCIL, to be apportioned on state wise basis as per the details provided by the Department of Atomic Energy.
The Government has taken several initiatives to streamline exploration and mining of mineral Uranium in the country. One of the issues pertained to providing a fair compensation tot he State Governments for the mineral mined out from their territory. While the Government is working out a proposal for revision of royalty rates for all minerals, a considered decision has been taken to enhance the royalty rates of mineral Uranium immediately, keeping the fact in view that uranium is a strategic mineral and mining operations in this sector is restricted to Public Sector only. Royalty on minerals is payable to the State Governments by a holder of a mining lease in respect of any mineral removed or consumed by him from the leased area.
In terms of the provisions of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, the rates of royalty can not be enhanced more than once in a period of three years. The existing rates of royalty for minerals including Uranium, other than minor minerals, coal, lignite of royalty for Uranium can be enhanced any-time after 14.10.2007.
In order to review the rates of royalty and dead rent the Government constituted a Study Group under the Chairmanship of the Additional Secretary (Mines) with the representatives of the State Governments of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Orissa, Rajasthan, Ministry of Steel, Department of Atomic Energy, Indian Bureau of Mines, and the Federation of Indian Mineral Industries as members. The Study Group noted that the details on domestic production and domestic pricing of uranium are not available in public domain. Further the mining operations of uranium are exclusively done by public sector, with limited captive use. Thus for the sake of transparency, the Study Group recommended that the compensation paid by the Government to the public sector undertakings involved in mining and processing of uranium, would be used as the reference point for determining royalty payable to the State Governments.
[Source: http://pib.nic.in]
Rio Tinto plans foray in India
Is considering a mine in Madhya Pradesh
Jan 1, 2008: Mining company Rio Tinto has plans to launch a diamond production project in an east-Indian state - Madhya Pradesh. Media sources say that the company has cited potential in a diamond deposit in Chhatarpur district of the state, where it is strategizing to set up its project. The diamonds produced at this site will be for commercial production. The Indian government intends to increase its revenue sources and is considering minerals as a good revenue generator.
[Source: http://diamondworld.net]