Coal Mining
Coal mining is the extraction of coal deposits from the surface of Earth and from underground
India has the 5th largest coal reserve in the world.
It is recognized as a leading energy source in India for many decades and contributes to nearly 55% of India’s energy requirement.
Right from its genesis, commercial coal mining in modern times in India has been dictated by domestic consumption needs
Associated health issues
Prolonged exposure to pollutants from coal mining has resulted in widespread respiratory and skin diseases among mine workers and other inhabitants of six districts in India where coal extraction is a major occupation, says a survey of 1,200 households published by the National Foundation for India, an organisation that works on social justice issues.
The six districts are Koriya and Raigarh (Chhattisgarh), Dhanbad and Ramgarh (Jharkhand), and Angul and Jajpur (Odisha).
At least 65% of the participants interviewed reported health issues such as chronic bronchitis, asthma, and skin ailments such as eczema, dermatitis and fungal infections
India's transition to renewable energy
While India has committed to source nearly 500 GW of electricity — nearly half its projected installed capacity for 2030 — from renewable energy sources, coal is expected to be the mainstay of power generation in India for decades.
Nearly half of India’s installed power generation capacity, or about 205 GW, are coal-powered thermal plants.
Change, however, is in the air as renewable energy accounted for 71.5% of the record 13.6 GW power generation capacity added by India for the first time in the January-March quarter this year, while coal’s share, including lignite, of the total power capacity dropped below 50% for the first time since the 1960s
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