chandrapur-mines

Warriors of the Earth

MRITYUNJAY BOSE

They are the ‘Warriors of the Earth’ – the coal miners. Coal being the prime mover of the industry - these unsung heroes plays a major role in the economy risking their lives deep inside the Earth 24x7x365. When we compare mining vis-à-vis Maharashtra, the Chandrapur district in Vidarbha region is known as the ‘City of Black Gold’ – the sobriquet aptly suggests of collieries.

With only layman’s idea about mining, I visited deep inside the Earth at Chandrapur to know more about mining. “The Vidarbha Valley belt has rich coal reserves,” says A R S Reddy, Manager of Hindustan Lalpeth Colliery No 1, an entity of Western Coalfields Ltd (WCL) as he comes out from a mine along with S Ansari, chief of WCL’s Internal Safety Organisation after inspecting the mine for several hours. Mines and safety go side by side – and India is today the third largest producer of coal in the world.

When it comes to basic of mining, there are two types of mine – the “open cast” a “shaft” mine. The basic difference being – the open cast mine is like a huge bowl on the Earth where one keeps on digging and extracting coal and in the shaft mine – one drills into the underground and then takes the coal out. But in both the cases the process is not easy and it takes lot of efforts to get the coal. “More than 50 per cent of power demand is met by coal and in case there is no coal, it will be difficult for an economy to run,” says Sudhir Bhaisare of WCL’s Hindustan Lalpeth Colliery – before his collegue Sanjay Virmalwar guides me nearly 50 metres below the surface to actually see the mining experience!

One may counter the efficiency of coal with the aspect of pollution, but coal in India remains the biggest energy provider. “The industrial heritage of the country has been based on coal,” points out Virmalwar – as he accompanies me to the coalmine. “The thermal power plants neighbouring the coalmines shows how important coal is for us,” points out Poonam Tiwari, a WCL employee, who accompanied me to the Hindusthan Lalpeth and Durgapur open-cast mine.

“Life is not easy, it is full of risk, but challenging, we love it,” says Virmalwar, with a sense of pride. He guides me and fellow-journalist Om Prakash Tiwari inside the mine from a “lift” when takes you to different levels below the surface.

WCL, the Nagpur-headquartered PSU, has several miles under its control in the Vidarbha region. The Company contributes about 11.3% of the national coal production. It has mining operation spread over the states of Maharashtra (in Nagpur, Chandrapur and Yavatmal districts) and Madhya Pradesh (in Betul and Chhindawara districts). WCL is a major source of supplies of coal to the industries located in Western India in the States of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and also in Southern India in the States of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala. A large numbers of power houses under Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujrat, Karnataka, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh - electricity boards are major consumers of its coal along with cement, steel, chemical, fertilizer, paper and brick Industries in these states.

Given this background, the Chandrapur district has its own importance in the area of mining – so as the Hindustan Lalpeth, where mining has started in 1924, if one goes by official records of the British era. “It has a very good safety record,” points out Reddy. “You cannot take it for granted, at every step there has to be checks for maintaining safety,” adds N Sen of Durgapur Open Cast Mine.

Mungantiwar demands ban on mining

Mining have its own problems and Chandrapur is an example of it. Local BJP MLA Sudhir Mungantiwar has demanded ban on the mining in the district –pointing out that it has lead to “serious water and air pollution”. Also, according to him, it has created an ‘earthquake-like situation” – as a result of blasting of mines – be it open cast mine or a shaft mine.


Tiwaris – a family of blood donors

Here is a family from Chandrapur town, which will definitely go in record books. However, they are not the ones who go after publicity. In fact, in any case of blood requirement in this district of Chandrapur, the first telephone call goes to Tiwari Niwas. This is a family of blood donors.

“I have been doing so as a teenager,” says Satyanarayan Tiwari, who has donated blood 192 times and wants to complete 200 as soon as possible. Not only Satyanarayan, but his younger brother Poonam Tiwari has donated blood 75 times. Poonam, who is an employee of WCL, wants to complete the century as early as possible. His son will be turning 18 next year and he too will start donating blood.

Satyanarayan, who is a businessman and also runs a weekly ‘Chandrapur ki Buland Aawaz’, recalls: “I was too young, when I donated blood for the first time. A pathologist needed blood and I agreed, since then I have been donating blood.” Adds Poonam: “If I don’t donate blood for two to three months, I feel uncomfortable. Blood donation is in our blood.” Satyanarayan’s elder brother late Shriniwas Tiwari donated blood more than 50 times and another of his younger brother Ghyanshyam also donates blood regularly. Satyanarayan’s son Ritesh has donated more than 30 times till now.

They have been felicitated several times. And they are committed to continue this in the times to come.