Echoing sustainable development : SECL plans for extraction of sand from over burden (OB)
KORBA 5 JUNE . Sand is world’s second most consumed natural resource after water. Rapid urbanization and global population growth have created unbound demand for this limited natural resource. Being a non-renewable resource over human timescales and increasing differences between more demand and less availability of natural sand due to its limited quantity and environmental consideration; has urged the society to look for a suitable and sustainable alternative of Sand (fine aggregate). Desert sand, although is plentiful, but is not suitable for concrete.
Excessive sand mining can alter the riverbed, force the river to change course, erode banks and lead to flooding. It also destroys the aquatic and riparian habitat besides affecting groundwater recharge. Huge gap between demand & supply of natural Sand is resulting in High market price, Illegal mining of sand & encouraging black marketing practices.
The availability of natural sand for stowing in the mine is under hardship now a day. Many UG mines have been denied permission for depillaring its districts for want of sand for stowing. Huge land occupied by OB Dumps can be freed for alternate useful purposes.Recovery of sand from waste Over Burden is best out of waste product.Sand so produced may be used for commercial purpose also which in turns may generate revenue for the company.
Accordingly, Coal Indiamanagement is planning to switchover to recovery of sand from OB and use it for stowing purpose in the mine and explore other possibilities to utilize the OB for other infrastructure development activities viz Mine road construction, railway track embankment preparation, use as filling material in flyover/ bridges approach etc.
SECL is planning to implement the Sand extraction plant from over burden (OB) material for utilization of sand for stowing in underground mines and other internal usages like building material, railway track embankment filling, etc.
It is proposed to setup a plant at Manikpur OC of Korba Area for extraction of Sand from the Over Burden dumps available. The sand extracted will be utilized for the purpose of sand stowing in underground mines of Korba Area and other purposes for internal use.In WCL, subsidiary of CIL, such plants are already in operation.
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