ECL, Paschim Bardhaman District Administration collaborate on sustainable mine closure and community development

New Delhi/Sanctoria: Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL), a subsidiary of Coal India Limited, has reinforced its commitment to sustainable mining and social development by partnering with the District Administration of Paschim Bardhaman to advance structured mine closure and community welfare initiatives.

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A high-level meeting was held on Thursday between ECL’s Director (Technical/Project & Planning), Girish Gopinathan Nair, and the District Magistrate of Paschim Bardhaman, Ponnambalam S. (IAS), to deliberate on ECL’s Mine Closure Plan, with a strong focus on community development, livelihood generation and the productive repurposing of mined-out land in line with the Government of India’s mandate on sustainable mining practices.

The meeting was attended by senior district officials, including Nitu Shukla (IAS), Additional District Magistrate (Zilla Parishad), Aranya Banerjee, Additional District Magistrate (Land Reforms), along with other officers from the district administration and block-level revenue officials. ECL was represented by senior executives, including P. S. De, General Manager (Coordination); Mrityunjay Kumar, General Manager (Environment); Robin Thounaoja, General Manager, Satgram–Sripur Area; Bhaskar Bhattacharya, General Manager (Geology); and officials from ECL’s CSR department.

Deliberations underscored the need to integrate mine closure activities with long-term socio-economic development of communities affected by mining operations. Discussions highlighted livelihood generation, environmental restoration and the creation of sustainable community assets to ensure that post-mining landscapes contribute positively to local development and well-being.

Noting the issue of water scarcity in the district, the District Magistrate stressed the judicious and effective utilisation of available water resources within excavated mining areas for domestic and agricultural purposes, with the objective of improving the quality of life of local communities.

In line with the Mine Closure Guidelines, the District Magistrate constituted an Advisory Committee to guide and monitor the implementation of mine closure plans and associated community development initiatives. The committee is expected to play a pivotal role in ensuring participatory planning, transparency and alignment with local developmental priorities.

Speaking on the occasion, Nair reiterated ECL’s commitment to a collaborative approach with district authorities to transform mine closure activities into opportunities for inclusive growth, environmental stewardship and enhanced community well-being, reaffirming the company’s focus on responsible mining and sustainable social development.

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