New Delhi: (Coal and Infra news) Coal India Ltd (CIL) and its subsidiary companies will replace road transport and instead adopt alternate transport methods, said Union Minister for Coal Pralhad Joshi on Monday. Joshi chaired a meeting of the Consultative Committee on Coal and Mines Ministries on First Mile Connectivity projects. He said in a tweet, "Coal PSUs will adopt alternate transport methods like mechanized conveyor systems, computerized loading onto railway rakes etc. replacing road transport in large mines."
"First Mile Connectivity will promote ease of living in coal mine areas by reducing traffic congestion, road accidents and adverse impact on environment," said Joshi in another tweet.
Coal India Ltd (CIL) will invest over Rs. 1.22 lakh crore in next three years on about 500 projects related to coal evacuation, infrastructure, project development, exploration and clean coal technologies. At a stakeholders' meet held in September, Joshi had said that the company would be investing around Rs 14,200 crore by the year 2023-24, in two phases for its 49 First Mile Connectivity projects. The 49 projects are coming up in two phases. While 35 projects were announced under the first phase of the initiative, 14 projects were identified under the second phase. Currently, 39 first-mile connectivity projects worth Rs 18,000 crore are in various stages of implementation.
First Mile Connectivity is the transportation of coal from pitheads to dispatch points.
Of the 14 projects that are coming up under phase II, Central Coalfields Ltd (CCL) will account for five with 62.5 million tonnes per annum capacity. Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd will have a solitary project of 20 million tonnes per annum capacity. Eastern Coalfields Ltd will have seven projects and South Eastern Coalfields Ltd will have one project with a capacity of 14 million tonnes per annum and four million tonnes per annum, respectively.
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