EXECUTIVE SUMMARY FOR PUBLIC HEARING (AS PER EIA NOTIFICATION SEPT’ 06) OF PROPOSED HARRADOL UG PROJECT (PRODUCTION CAPACIY 0.135 MTPA & LEASE AREA 27.45 Ha) JANUARY - 2009 Prepared by :- ENVIRONMENT DEPARTMENT WESTERN COALFIELDS LIMITED COAL ESTATE, CIVIL LINES NAGPUR - 440001 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1.0 INTRODUCTION Harradol patch is situated in the western part of Rakhikol colliery of Damua group of collieries in between two major faults namely Bagdeo fault in the north and Damua fault in the south. Based on the production support drilling carried out in Harradol patch, a Geological Note was prepared and submitted in March’ 2000 by MECL by utilizing the data of eight MHP series (MHP 1-8) and six MKRP series (MKRP 1, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10) boreholes. Prior to submission of the above geological note by MECL, a marginal scheme for exploitation of coal reserves of Harradol patch was prepared by Kanhan Area. The above scheme was vetted by CMPDI, RI-IV, Nagpur based on the borehole data available at that time and was submitted to WCL in February’ 2000. The above marginal scheme was sanctioned by competent authority on 6.3.2000 after vetting by CMPDI. However, the Harradol mine could not be started due to some obstructions. The Harradol mine was basically planned as a replacement mine for Bansi Incline. Now, in the present scenario, Bansi and Rakhikol UG mines are already exhausted and closed and Damua 26-27 Incline are also likely to be closed due to adverse geo-mining condition. Hence, it has become very essential to open Harradol mine to make-up the shortfall of coal to some extent. Keeping in view of present scenario and techno-economical aspects, a draft scheme of Harradol UG mine has been prepared by Kanhan Area, WCL and submitted to CMPDI, RI-IV, Nagpur on 20.07.2007 for examination. After perusal of the scheme submitted by Area, it was felt that the entire scheme needs to be reformulated in view of the Geological Note on Harradol patch prepared by MECL in March’ 2000. Accordingly, the present scheme has been prepared by CMPDI, RI-IV, Nagpur on the basis of Geological Note prepared by MECL on Harradol patch in March’ 2000 and the data furnished by the Area in the scheme. 1.1 Recent Studies and Development The exploration job in the western part of Rakhikol colliery was assigned to MECL to prove the virgin patch around Harradol lying between Bagdeo & Damua faults. Accordingly, the initial drilling work in Rakhikol colliery area was commenced on 24.10.94 and a total 10 boreholes (6 boreholes MKRP – 1, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10 in Harradol patch and 4 boreholes MKRP – 2, 3, 4 & 6 in Markadhana patch) were drilled by October’ 1996. Subsequently, 8 more boreholes (MHP – 1 to 8) were drilled by MECL in Harradol patch during the period from 7.11.98 to 7.12.99. Based on the data of 14 boreholes drilled in Harradol patch (8 boreholes MHP – 1 to 8 and 6 boreholes MKRP – 1, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10 ), a note namely “Geological Note on Production Support Drilling, Rakhikol Colliery (Harradol Patch) Area, Pench Kanhan Valley Coalfield, Chhindwara district, Madhya Pradesh” was prepared by MECL and submitted in March’ 2000. The above Geological Note has revealed that the coal reserves of Harradol Patch is partly heat affected having UVM (Unit Volatile Matter) % less than 30%. The part of the coal reserves of Harradol patch which is not heat affected (UVM > 30%) is medium coking coal, whereas the remaining part of the coal reserves having UVM < 30% is non-coking coal. In the scheme for Harradol UG mine, the heat affected non-coking coal having UVM % in the range of 18% to 30% has been considered for extraction alongwith medium coking coal. The non coking coal having UVM % less than 18% has been excluded from the proposed mine area. 1.2 Necessity of the Scheme for Harradol UG Mine A number of mines of Kanhan Area of WCL have been closed or are likely to be closed due to exhaustion of coal reserves. Bansi and Rakhikol mines of kanhan Area are already exhausted and closed and Damua 26-27 Inclines are also likely to be closed due to adverse geo-mining condition. The production from Nandan-2 UG mine is presently discontinued. Under such circumstances, there is shortfall in the production of Kanhan area and therefore opening of even small new mine like Harradol UG mine has become essential. Although, the coal reserves of proposed Harradol UG mine is partly medium coking and partly non-coking and continuous supply to Nandan Washery is not feasible, the production from Harradol mine will certainly reduce the gap between demand and supply of coal in Kanhan area as well as in WCL. Hence the scheme for opening the Harradol UG mine in Kanhan Area of WCL is necessary. 2.0 PROJECT SITE INFORMATION 2.1 Location The proposed Harradol U/G mine has been envisaged in a part of small Harradol patch located in the western part of Rakhikol colliery of Damua group in between two major faults namely Bagdeo fault in the north and Damua fault in the south. The area is located in Kanhan Area of WCL and falls in administrative jurisdiction of Junnardeo Tehsil of Chhindwara district, M.P. 2.2 Communication The proposed Harradol mine is approachable by existing road joining Rakhikol colliery (Incline no.-27 & 28) to Bansi mine. The Rakhikol colliery is located to the west of Damua town and is approachable from Damua by a four km. long all weather motarable tar road. Damua in turn is well connected to Chhindwara via Parasia by a 72 km. tar road. Hirdagarh railway station located about 19 km. southeast of the area is the nearest rail head on the Amla-Parasia broad gauge section of the Central Railway. Amla lies on the Nagpur-Delhi broad gauge line of the Central Railway. A railway siding is also constructed from Hirdagarh to Nandan Coal Washery which is located just 3 km away from the block. 2.3 Topography The proposed Harradol patch has difficult and rugged terrain with Surface R.L. ranging from 764.97m (B.H. No.- MKRP-9) to 877.67m (B.H. No.- MHP-3). The area is covered with forest land. 3.0 GEOLOGY AND DEPOSIT APPRAISAL 3.1 Based on the data of 14 boreholes drilled in Harradol patch (8 boreholes MHP – 1 to 8 and 6 boreholes MKRP – 1, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10 ), a note namely “Geological Note on Production Support Drilling, Rakhikol Colliery (Harradol Patch) Area, Pench Kanhan Valley Coalfield, Chhindwara district, Madhya Pradesh” was prepared by MECL and submitted in March’ 2000. The geology of the proposed Harradol UG mine is based on this Geological Note. 3.2 Block Boundary The boundary of the block has been defined as follows:- North : Bagdeo Fault, FB South : Damua Fault, FD East : Fault F4-F4 West : Fault F1-F1 (For Reserves Estimation Fault F2-F2 serves as western block boundary) 3.3 Borehole Data The present geological assessment of the block is based on the data of following 14 boreholes : Sl. Particulars Quantity No. 1. Boreholes: a) MKRP Series 6 (MKRP – 1,5,7,8,9 & 10) b) MHP Series 8 (MHP – 1 to 8) Total 14 boreholes 2. Meterage MKRP Series – 676.75 m MHP Series – 1361.40 m Total - 2038.15 m 3. Total Area 0.38 sq. km. 4. Borehole Density 37 boreholes/sq.km. 5. Analytical Data 3 B.H.s of MKRP Series (MKRP – 5, 7 & 10) 7 B.H.s of MHP Series (MHP- 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7 & 8) 3.4 Geological Succession of the Block The geological succession of the block as worked out from the sub- surface data generated from the 14 boreholes drilled in the block and data collected from the nearby mine workings is given in the following Table :. Geological Succession of the Mining Block Age Formation Lithology Thickness Range (m) Minimum Maximum Recent Soil Sandy and 0.50 3.00 Clayey soil (MKRP – 7, 8 & (MKRP-1) 10) Lower Motur SST-MGD with 45.54 156.12 Permian variegated clays (MKRP-9) (MHP-2) Barakar SST, FGD-MGD 23.00 (+) 82.55 (+) occ. CGD & (MHP- 4) (MKRP-1) Shale with coal seams 3.5 Geological Structure Strike and Dip The general strike of the beds in the block is east-west and it takes moderate swing in the western part (S 850 W – N 850 E) and eastern part (N 660 W – S 660 E). The dip of the beds varies between 50 to 80 due north. Faults A total six faults namely F1-F1, F2-F2, F3-F3, F4-F4, FB (Bagdeo Fault) and FD (Damua Fault) have been interpreted in Harradol patch out of which Bagdeo (FB) and Damua (FD) faults are major faults and rest are minor faults. Out of six faults, four (F1-F1, F4-F4, Bagdeo Damua) are boundary faults. In the western side a very narrow patch exists between F1and F2 faults, and therefore this patch has been excluded in the Geological Report for reserve estimation. Hence, for reserve estimation, fault F2 serves as boundary fault. Thus only one fault namely F3 traverses through the block in east-west direction with southerly downthrow of 2 to 5m. 3.6 Description and Quality of Coal Seams The existence of three coal seams viz, Seam-III, Seam-II & Seam-I occurring in descending order has been established in Damua-Rakhikol-Kalichappar area. Out of the three seams, Seam-III is target seam for present exploration as it has attained workable thickness.