Kamal Guha at 12:12, 6 August 2023

2023-08-06T12:12:47Z

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{{Use Indian English|date=August 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2016}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL)
| logo =
| logo_size =
| type = [[Government-owned corporation|State-owned enterprise]] Subsidiary
| industry = [[Coal mining|Mining]]
| foundation = 1975
| location_city = [[Dishergarh|Sanctoria]], [[Asansol]], [[West Bengal]]
| area_served = India
| key_people = Prem Sagar Mishra (Chairman & [[Managing Director|MD]])
| products = [[Coal]]
| owner = [[Coal India Limited]]
| num_employees = 72,973 <ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.easterncoal.gov.in/corpinfo/corporate.html#GEOG|title = Eastern Coalfields Limited - CORPORATE INFORMATION}}</ref>
| location_country = [[India]]
| homepage = {{URL|http://www.easterncoal.gov.in}}
}}

'''Eastern Coalfields Limited''' (ECL) is a coal producer based in India. The company was founded in 1975 after [[Coal mining in India|nationalisation of coal mines in India]]. It operates coal mines in Jharkhand and West Bengal states of India. It inherited all the private sector coal mines of the [[Raniganj Coalfield]]. It is one of the fully owned subsidiaries of [[Coal India Limited]]. The company has its headquarters at [[Dishergarh|Sanctoria]], in [[West Bengal]].<ref name=a>[http://www.easterncoal.gov.in/corporate.html Eastern Coalfields Limited]</ref><ref>[https://books.google.com/books?ei=O8_OTa73PMOJrAeQ48XCCg&ct=result&id=fg27AAAAIAAJ&dq=south+eastern+coalfields+limited+came+into+existence&q=south+eastern+coalfields+#search_anchor Eight subsidiaries of Coal India Limited] International directory of company histories, Volume 44 by Thomas Derdak, Tina Grant.</ref><ref>[https://books.google.com/books?ei=2M7OTbPHIYysrAef673CCg&ct=result&id=Fr5FAQAAIAAJ&dq=south+eastern+coalfields+limited+came+into+existence&q=+eastern+coalfields+#search_anchor] Eastern Coalfields Limited (Ministry of Energy, Department of Coal)</ref>

==Backdrop==
Coalmining in India first started in the [[Raniganj Coalfield]]. In 1774, John Sumner and [[Suetonius Grant Heatly]] of the [[East India Company|British East India Company]] found coal near [[Ethora]], presently in [[Salanpur (community development block)|Salanpur]] community development block. The early exploration and mining operations were carried out in a haphazard manner.<ref name=akkori>Akkori Chattopadhyay, ''Bardhaman Jelar Itihas O Lok Sanskriti'' , Vol I, pp. 46–51, Radical, 2001, {{ISBN|81-85459-36-3}}</ref>

Regular mining started in 1820, led by an agency house, Alexander & Co. In 1835, [[Dwarkanath Tagore|Prince Dwarkanath Tagore]] bought over the collieries and [[Carr, Tagore and Company]] led the field. For the entire 19th century and a major part of the 20th century, Ranigunj coalfields was the major producer of coal in the country.<ref name=akkori/>

At the behest of William Princep, Carr, Tagore and Company joined hands with Gilmore Homfray and Co. in 1843 to form Bengal Coal Co., which opened up coal mining activities. Their headquarters was at [[Dishergarh|Sanctoria]].<ref name=akkori/>

Nationalisation of the coal industry was in stages. The management of coking coal mines was taken over in 1971 and the coking coal mines were nationalised in 1972. The management of non-coking coal mines was taken over on 31 January 1973 and these were nationalised on 1 May 1973. Coal India Limited, a holding company, was formed in 1975, encompassing the entire coal industry.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.coalindia.in/en-us/company/history.aspx | title = History | publisher = Coal India Limited | access-date = 5 August 2018}}</ref>
In 2016–17, CIL produced 554.14 million tonnes of coal. It is the single-largest coal producer in the world. Eastern Coalfields Ltd. is one of the 7 wholly owned producing subsidiaries of CIL<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.coalindia.in/en-us/company/aboutus.aspx | title = About the Company | publisher = Coal India Limited | access-date = 2 August 2018}}</ref>

At the time of nationalisation, 414 coal mines, almost wholly in the Raniganj Coalfield, came under the jurisdiction of ECL. The mines were regrouped to around 123 mines. Production from these mines in 1973-74 was 21 million tonnes, of which 20.744 million tonnes were from underground mines and the rest from manual quarries. The percentage of production from the underground mines has declined from 98.49% at the time of nationalisation to 18.23% in 2014–15. The focus is on technological upgradation of underground mines. In 2014–15, the technology-wise production from the underground mines (in million tonnes) was: conventional bord and pillar – 0.539, mechanised bord and pillar – 5.335, mechanised longwall (including road header) – 0.025, continuous miner – 1.397, Total – 7.296.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://secureloginecl.co.in/elearning/contents/OVER%20VIEW%20OF%20ECL.pdf | title = Overview of ECL Production and Productivity| publisher = Coal India | access-date = 19 August 2018}}</ref>

==Geography==
ECL mining leasehold area is 753.75 km2 and surface right area is 237.18 km2It is spread across West Bengal and Jharkhand. ECL operates in [[Raniganj Coalfield]] in West Bengal, Mugma field (in Dhanbad district), Rajmahal Coalmines Projects (in Godda district) and Saherjuri Coalfield (in Deoghar district) in Jharkhand. The heart of the Raniganj Coalfield is located south of the [[Ajay River]] and north of the [[Damodar River]] in Paschim Bardhaman district. Mejia (in Bankura district) and Parbelia (in Purulia district) are located south of the Damodar. Palasthali (in Birbhum district) is located north of the Ajay. The Mugma field is located west of the [[Barakar River]] and north of the Damodar.<ref name= eclgeog>{{cite web| url = http://www.easterncoal.gov.in/corpinfo/corporate.html#GEOG |title = Geographic Location & Area, Mines & Manpower, Reserves|publisher= Eastern Coalfields| access-date = 7 August 2018}}</ref>

The formation of coal seams in the Raniganj Coalfield-Mugma field of ECL has occurred mainly in Raniganj measures and Barakar measures. The Santhal Pargana mines and the Rajmahal Area are mainly related to Barakar measures and Talchair series.<ref name= eclgeog/>

==Reserves==
{{As of|2012|4|1}}, ECL has proved reserves of 16.94 billion tonnes – 12.42 billion tonnes in West Bengal and 4.52 billion tonnes in Jharkhand. Total reserves in the ECL command area, up to a depth of 600 m, was 49.17 billion tonnes.<ref name= eclgeog/>

==Performance==
{{As of| 2017}}, Eastern Coalfields had 14 operating areas with 87 working mines, 60 being underground mines, 19 open cast and 8 mixed mines. In 2016–17, ECL produced 40.517 million tonnes of coal, of which 32.319 million tonnes were from open cast mines and 8.127 million tonnes were from underground mines. It was the highest ever production. Offtake of coal from ECL by the power sector was 40.121 million tonnes in 2016–17.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.easterncoal.gov.in/annualreport/annualreport16-17.pdf | title = Annual Report and Accounts| work = Pages 6, 9, 11, 16 | publisher = Eastern Coalfields Limited | access-date = 5 August 2018}}</ref>

==Operating areas==
A broad area-wise distribution of coalmines of Eastern Coalfield Limited is given below:<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.easterncoal.gov.in/contactus/cugtel.html|title = Area-wise Closed User Group (CUG) Telephone Number | publisher= Eastern Coalfields Limited| access-date = 11 August 2018}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Area ||Collieries ||Name ||Per.No. ||Designation
|-
|[[Bankola Area|Bankola]]||Bankola Colliery, Khandra Colliery, Kumardih A Colliery, Kumardih B Colliery, Moira Colliery, Nakrakonda Colliery, Shankarpur Colliery, Shyamsundarpur Colliery, Tilaboni Colliery||Mantu Kumar||1212158||(Clerk)
|-
|[[Jhanjra]]||Main Industrial Complex (MIC), I & II Incline, I & B Incline, 3 & 4 Incline||Rabi Yadev||1212198||(Clerk)
|-
|[[Kajora Area|Kajora]]||Central Kajora Colliery, Jambad OCP, Jambad UG, Khas Kajora Colliery, Lachipur Colliery, Madhusudanpur Colliery, Madhabpur Colliery, Naba Kajora Colliery, Porascole Colliery||Biswajeet Singh||1212115||(Clerk)
|-
|[[Kenda Area|Kenda]]||Bahula Colliery, Chora Block Incline, CL Jambad Colliery, Chora OCP, Haripur Colliery, Lower Kenda Colliery, New Kenda Colliery, Siduli Colliery, SK OCP, West Kenda OCP||joges Mahato||1212145||(Clerk)
|-
|[[Kunustoria Area|Kunustoria]]||Amritnagar Colliery, Amrasota Colliery, Bansra Colliery, Belbaid Colliery, Kunustoria Colliery, Mahabir OCP, N. Searsole Colliery, Parasea Colliery, Parasea 6 & 7 Incline, Parasea OCP||Arindam Ghosh||1212111||(Clerk)
|-
|[[Mugma Area|Mugma]]||Badjna Colliery, Bermury OCP, Chapapur Colliery, Gopinathpur Colliery, Hariajam Colliery, Kumardhubi Colliery, Khoodia Colliery, Kapasara Colliery, Lakhimata Colliery, Mandman Colliery, Rajpura OCP, Shampur B||Binod Kumar||1212124||(Clerk)
|-
|[[Pandaveswar Area|Pandaveswar]]||Dalurband Colliery, Khottadih OCP, Khottadih UG, Mandhaipur Colliery, Manderbony Colliery, Pandaveswar Colliery, South Samla Colliery||Manohar Bauri||1212161||(Sr. Manager)
|-
|Rajmahal||Lalmatia Coalfield in Godda, Jharkhand
|-
|[[Salanpur Area|Salanpur]]||Bonjemehari Colliery, Barmondia Colliery, Dabor, Gourandi Colliery, Gourandi Begunia Colliery, Mohonpur OCP||Supriya Gorain||1212592||(Clerk)
|-
|[[Salanpur Area|Salanpur]]||Bonjemehari Colliery, Barmondia Colliery, Dabor, Gourandi Colliery, Gourandi Begunia Colliery, Mohonpur OCP||Subrata Garain||5258586||(Clerk)
|-
|[[Salanpur Area|Salanpur]]||Bonjemehari Colliery, Barmondia Colliery, Dabor, Gourandi Colliery, Gourandi Begunia Colliery, Mohonpur OCP||Shyamapada Gorai||9565485||(Pr. Manager)
|-
|[[Sonpur Bazari]]||Sonpur Bazari Project
|-
|S.P.Mines||Chitra in Deoghar, Jharkhand
|-
|[[Sripur Area|Sripur]]||Bhanora West Block Colliery, New Ghusick Colliery, Kalipahari Colliery, Ningha Colliery, S.S.I. Colliery,
|-
|}
Note: All the linked Area pages provide relevant details of the collieries and carry maps indicating the location of the collieries

==Mining plan==
An overview of the mining plan of ECL covering 12 clusters is given below. Further details are available on the linked Area pages.
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Cluster||Area covered||No. of Mines||Normal Production Capacity million tonnes/year||Peak Production Capacity million tonnes/year
|-
|1||[[Mugma Area|Mugma]]||11||2.70||3.30<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.easterncoal.nic.in/notices/environment/20161130mugma1.pdf | title = Environmental Statement (2015-16) for Cluster 1| publisher = Eastern Coalfields | access-date = 24 September 2018}}</ref>
|-
||2||[[Mugma Area|Mugma]]||3||0.36||0.45<ref>{{cite web | url = http://easterncoal.gov.in/notices/environment/20161130mugma2.pdf | title = Environmental Statement (2015-16) for Cluster 2| publisher = Eastern Coalfields | access-date = 24 September 2018}}</ref>
|-
||3||[[Salanpur Area|Salanpur]]||3||3.33||3.93<ref>{{cite web | url = http://environmentclearance.nic.in/writereaddata/Form-1A/TOR/2013_7_18_Jul_2013_1214199031Cluster3TOR.pdf| title = Revised Application for Environmental Clearance for Cluster 3| publisher = Eastern Coalfields | access-date = 24 September 2018}}</ref>
|-
||4||[[Salanpur Area|Salanpur]]||3||6.35||7.79<ref>{{cite web | url = http://environmentclearance.nic.in/writereaddata/Form-1A/EC/072220151ECletterofCluster-4_J-11015-106-2011.pdf | title = Environmental Clearance for Cluster 4| publisher = Eastern Coalfields | access-date = 24 September 2018}}</ref>
|-
||5||[[Sodepur Area|Sodepur]]||2||0.485||0.63<ref>{{cite web | url = http://easterncoal.gov.in/notices/environment/20161130sodepur1.pdf| title = Environmental Clearance (2015-16) for Cluster 5| publisher = Eastern Coalfields | access-date = 24 September 2018}}</ref>
|-
||6||[[Sodepur Area|Sodepur]]||9||1.453||2.25<ref>{{cite web | url = http://easterncoal.gov.in/notices/environment/20161130sodepur2.pdf | title = Environmental Clearance (2015-16) for Cluster 6| publisher = Eastern Coalfields | access-date = 24 September 2018}}</ref>
|-
||7||[[Salanpur Area|Salanpur]]||4||0.58||0.74<ref>{{cite web | url = http://easterncoal.gov.in/notices/environment/20161130salansri.pdf| title = Environmental Clearance (2015-16) for Cluster 7| publisher = Eastern Coalfields | access-date = 24 September 2018}}</ref>
|-
||8||[[Sripur Area|Sripur]], [[Satgram Area|Satgram]]||7||1.53||2.75<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.easterncoal.nic.in/notices/environment/20161130satgramsri.pdf| title = Environmental Clearance (2015-16) for Cluster 8| publisher = Eastern Coalfields | access-date = 24 September 2018}}</ref>
|-
||9||[[Sripur Area|Sripur]], [[Satgram Area|Satgram]], [[Kunustoria Area|Kunustoria]]||15||6.25||8.00<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.easterncoal.nic.in/notices/environment/20161130kunussatsri.pdf| title = Environmental Clearance (2015-16) for Cluster 9| publisher = Eastern Coalfields | access-date = 24 September 2018}}</ref>
|-
||10||[[Kunustoria Area|Kunustoria]], [[Kajora Area|Kajora]], [[Bankola Area|Bankola]]||19||6.349||7.70<ref>{{cite web | url = http://easterncoal.gov.in/notices/environment/20161208kunuskajobankoFormV.pdf | title = Environmental Clearance (2015-16) for Cluster 10| publisher = Eastern Coalfields | access-date = 24 September 2018}}</ref>
|-
||11||[[Kenda Area|Kenda]], [[Bankola Area|Bankola]]||11||9.1||9.9<ref>{{cite web | url = http://environmentclearance.nic.in/writereaddata/modification/PreviousTOR/0_0_23122015IV5ICTORCL11.pdf | title = Environmental Clearance (2015-16) for Cluster 11| publisher = Eastern Coalfields | access-date = 24 September 2018}}</ref>
|-
||12||[[Pandaveswar Area|Pandaveswar]], [[Sonpur Bazari]], [[Jhanjra]], [[Bankola Area|Bankola]]||19||-||31.83<ref>{{cite web | url = http://easterncoal.gov.in/notices/environment/20160401amendment.pdf| title = Amendment in Environmental Clearance (2015-16) for Cluster 12| publisher = Eastern Coalfields | access-date = 24 September 2018}}</ref>
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Energy Ministries and Departments of India}}
{{Coalfields}}
{{Public Sector Undertakings in India}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Coal India subsidiaries]]
[[Category:Coal companies of India]]
[[Category:Mining in West Bengal]]
[[Category:Companies based in Asansol]]
[[Category:Energy companies established in 1975]]
[[Category:Non-renewable resource companies established in 1975]]
[[Category:Government-owned companies of India]]
[[Category:Companies nationalised by the Government of India]]
[[Category:1975 establishments in West Bengal]]
[[Category:Economy of Paschim Bardhaman district]]

Eastern Coalfields - Revision history

Kamal Guha at 12:12, 6 August 2023