WCL fetches real mineral water ‘Coal Neer’

Rajiv Ranjan Mishra, Chairman-cum-Managing Director, Western Coalfields Limited (WCL), has come up with an innovative idea of providing real mineral water in ‘Coal Neer’ brand name. While coal mining is a process of extraction of coal beneath the earth surface, water is also taken out in this process which is referred as Mine Discharge Water. Mined in both underground and open cast mines, a part of mine water is used for industrial purposes like spraying, washing, dust suppression etc. and part is used for domestic use after proper filtration. The WCL Team envisaged that for mitigating drought in Vidharba, they needed to adopt innovative approaches in utilising this mine water. We realised that making water available to the external stakeholders living in the mining region will have the highest impact in creating positive community relation. Hence surplus mine water is facilitated to nearby community after proper treatment for use as potable, domestic water and for irrigation. This endeavor is in line with the Jal Shakti Abhiyan for water conservation campaign initiated by Government of India. Total Mine Water Discharge of WCL is 1378 Lakh cubic meter/year, out of which 565 Lakh cubic meter/year is utilised internally. The remaining 786 Lakh cubic meter/year has been gainfully utilized for community use through various schemes & MOUs with State Government Organizations. 16 Schemes (For Drinking Water & Irrigation) have been implemented till date benefitting 2,16,865 local populace in 41 villages for different purposes like: Supply as Drinking Water to Local Populace. Agriculture Use and Augmentation of Ground Water. Revival of Ponds and Rivers. Some of our successful projects are listed below: Drinking Water: Kamptee to Kanhan (K2K) Project – Supply of filtered Mine Water from Kamptee Mine to  Kanhan Township. RO Plant in Nilgaon Village, Nagpur District.  Filter Plants in Chandrapur District. Irrigation Projects. Pilot Project in Borgaon village. Mine Water from Bhanegaon Mine to Bhanegaon and Bina Villages. Mine Water from Pipla Mine to Pipla, Walni & Dahegaon village.Revival of Ponds and Rivers: Desilting and Widening of Ponds at Neelapur, Punwat, Welhada, Kumbarkhani, Rasa Ponds in Yavatmal District. Desilting and Widening of Rasa Pond, Yavatmal District. Also, an RO Plant of capacity 10000 liters/hour capacity have been installed in Patansaongi village catering to drinking water needs of around 1,00,000 local populace, Additionally, the plant has a bottling facility through which BIS complaint “COAL NEER” brand of packaged drinking water is also launched. Another RO plant of 10000 liters/hour capacity is installed in Waghoda village. Together, water from both the RO plants is being distributed to the villagers at their doorstep through Female Self Help Groups(SHGs). An MOU has been signed with MAHAGENCO for providing excess mine water of quantum 107.6 lakh cubic meter/year to their Thermal Power Plants near Nagpur, so that the water utilized by them from Pench Water Reservoir is spared for Nagpur City. An MOU has been signed with Vidarbha Irrigation Development Corporation(VIDC) for providing excess mine water of quantum 281.6 Lakh Cum/year to VIDC for Irrigation purposes in Vidarbha region. WCL has pioneered in utilizing Mine water discharge for needs of the community in sustainable manner though many projects. Not only has WCL succeeded in gainful utilization of mine water, but also took a leadership role is replicating this model across other subsidiaries of Coal India.