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Dhanbad, March 2: A holiday in the grimy coal belt? You sure shudder at the thought today. But your choice might just change tomorrow when the Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL), in association with the state tourism department, turns the hitherto uninviting land into a desired destination.

SUMAN K. SHRIVASTAVA

Clearing hurdles
Ranchi, March 1: The environment appraisal committee of the Union ministry of environment and forests today accepted that the coal industry needed fast green clearance to increase production and meet growing demands. But changes are needed in the environmental laws, it observed.

Indian Mining Industry makes a major contribution to the national economy and to the well being of the society as a whole. The country

Pits close to Grand Trunk Road set off alarm bells

An abandoned pit in Dhanbad from where coal is extracted illegally. Picture by Gautam Dey

Dhanbad, Feb. 12: The figure is startling.

Officials in Dhanbad have spotted as many as 118 abandoned mine pits that are being used to extract coal illegally.

The public sector coal major had offered 18 abandoned or derelict mines with a total reserve of 1,647 million tonnes from its subsidiaries

Debjoy Sengupta KOLKATA

COAL India (CIL) will finalise its joint venture partners for coal extraction from abandoned mines by March 2009.

CENTRAL Mine Planning and Design Institute (CMPDIL) plans to join hands with Mineral Exploration Corp (MECL) to fast-track the process of coal exploration in the country. The tie-up will help CMPDIL to involve MECL in undertaking its drilling works without inviting tenders.

The two-decade-old land controversy involving a project of the Central Coalfield Limited (CCL) in Giridih has reared its head again.

In order to boost production of clean energy source the Central Mine Planning and Design Institute Limited (CMPDIL), a subsidiary of Coal India Limited (CIL), would inaugurate on Monday a clearing house in the city. The new unit would enable those interested in extraction of methane from the coal mines of CIL to bring in technology and funds.

Chief minister, Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, today urged coal producers to ensure more effective ways of extracting coal from underground mines while he urged the Centre to allocate more coal blocks to meet demands of upcoming industries.

Dhanbad: The public investment bureau (PIB) has shown the green light to a Rs 6,997-crore Jharia rehabilitation package and it is just a matter of time before the Union Cabinet puts its stamp of approval. But the million dollar question is who will convince some 400,000 residents to evacuate the danger zone, where an underground fire has been raging for more than 90 years?

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