Wardha Valley Coalfield

Coordinates: 19°58′34″N 79°05′17″E / 19.97611°N 79.08806°E / 19.97611; 79.08806
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Wardha Valley Coalfield
Location
Western Coalfields Limited
Websitehttp://westerncoal.gov.in/

Wardha Valley Coalfield is located mainly in

state of Maharashtra
.

The coalfield

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, Balalarpur 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

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]

References

  1. ^ "Geological and Geographical Distribution of Coalfields in India". geologydata.info. Retrieved 1 May 2012.
  2. ^ "Occurrence of Coal in India". geologydata.info. Retrieved 1 May 2012.
  3. .
  4. ^ "Coal Resources of India (As on 1.1.2004)" (PDF). Coal Wing, Geological Survey of India, Kolkata. Retrieved 1 May 2012.