Union Minister Pralhad Joshi Hints at Financial Outlay for Sustainable Coal Mining and Green Technology
- Urges Scientific Closure of Abandoned Mines to Fulfill People’s Aspirations
TFP Bureau, New Delhi;Oct 12, 2023: Shri Pralhad Joshi, Union Minister of Coal, Mines, and Parliamentary Affairs, has revealed that a financial outlay aimed at enhancing sustainable coal mining in India and promoting green coal technology will soon be announced. The Minister made this announcement during the valedictory session of the National Workshop on “Global Experience Sharing on Just Transition,” organized by the Ministry of Coal.
Highlighting the significance of the scientific closure of abandoned coal mines, Minister Joshi emphasized that India’s electricity consumption is only one-third of the global average. Despite this, India ranks among the top five solar power-producing nations worldwide. He stressed the importance of adequately addressing the aspirations of grassroots-level individuals while ensuring a just transition within the coal sector. Shri Joshi also noted that Coal India Limited and its subsidiary units are resolutely focused on pursuing Clean Coal Technologies.
In his keynote address, Shri Amrit Lal Meena, Secretary of the Ministry of Coal, affirmed that with increased domestic coal production, India’s coal sector is significantly bolstering economic growth. He stressed the necessity of establishing a dedicated organization with a robust institutional framework to ensure the scientific closure of abandoned coal mines.
Shri M Nagaraju, Additional Secretary of the Ministry, added that more than 300 abandoned coal mines require meticulous, scientific closure that benefits both the environment and the local communities. The workshop serves as a crucial step toward creating a knowledge bank for achieving this goal. Nagaraju revealed that initially, 3-4 coal mines would be taken up as pilot projects for scientific closure.
The workshop featured five panel discussions and breakout sessions, with participation from esteemed experts from the coal sector within India and abroad. World Bank experts were also in attendance during this one-day event.
