Wardha Valley Coalfied covers an area of about 4,130 km2 in the valley of the Wardha, a river in the Godavari basin. It extends in a North West – South East direction for about 115 km.[1] Wardha Valley Coalfield is spread across Bhandar, new majri, Rajur-wani, Chandrapur, Ballarpur and Wamanpalli.[2]
Challenges
Wardha Valley Coalfield mines coal in a large measure by open cast mining. However, the availability of coal comparatively near to the surface is fast depleting. As a result, either the open cast mines have to be deepened or the costlier underground mining process resorted to.[3]
Reserves
Coal-bearing areas in India are divided into two groups – Gondwana measures and tertiary measures. Gondwana coals occur in valleys of rivers such as Damodar, Mahanadi, Godavari and Wardha. Tertiary coals are found in Assam and the lignite occurring areas.[4]
According to the Geological Survey of India, Wardha Valley Coalfield has total reserves of 5,343.60 million tonnes of non-coking coal, up to a depth of 1,200 m, out of which 2,783.51 million tonnes are proved reserves and the rest being indicated or inferred. Bulk of the coal lies up to a depth of 300 m.[5]
^Prof. Ajoy K Ghose and Prof. B.B.Dhar, Mining Challenges of the 21st Century, Institution of Engineers, pp. 501-503, A.P.H. Publishing Corporation, 5 Ansari Road, Daryaganj, New Delhi – 110002. ISBN81-7648-158-0.
^’’Coal Industry of India’’ by A.R.Prasad, Asish Publishing House, 8/81 Punjabi Bagh, New Delhi – 110026, 1986, p. 64, ISBN81-7024-055-7
