1) A group of 29 mining engineering students from IIEST Shibpur visited the Jhanjra MIC colliery in Durgapur for an educational excursion. 2) The students received an introductory briefing on the colliery's operations and safety procedures. They were given a choice to either visit the longwall panel system above ground or experience underground work, and chose the former. 3) On the visit, the students observed the longwall panel system's coal cutting and support mechanisms. They also visited the ventilation shafts and saw underground coal mining before concluding their trip.

1. EXCURSION REPORT OF JHANJHRA MIC
COLLIERY
An excursion Report
Submitted in partial fulfilment of requirements for award of dual degree of
Bachelor of Technology and Master of Technology in
Mining Engineering
By
ANURAG KUMAR JHA
Exam Roll no.-511214025
SESSION 2015-2016
DEPARTMENT OF MINING ENGINEEING
INDIAN INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, SHIBPUR
HOWRAH-711103

2. 2
General over view of Jhanjra MIC colliery
Anurag kumar jha1
OVERVIEW
On Friday, 5th
December the excursion of the batch of 3rd
semester Mining Engineering students
of IIEST, Shibpur was planned. We started our journey at 5 am and reached at Howrah Railway
Station by 5:30 am. Then at 6:15 we travelled from Howrah Station to Durgapur railway station
by the Black Diamond express. Near around 9 am the train reached at Durgapur station. Then we
took a bus from Durgapur railway station to Okhra and then another bus from Okhra to Jhanjra
project MIC colliery gate no. 5 (GM office). Finally at 10 am we reached to our destination.
Total no. of students took part on the excursion: 29
Introductory Class
After reaching to the Jhanjra project an introductory lecture was given by the project manager P.
K. Jha to us. Our professors, who accompanied and guided us throughout the journey; Prof. Md.
M. Islam and Prof. S. Mukherjee, introduced us with him. Mr. Jha briefed us about the Jhanjra
project and what kind of technology they are using for mining. He told us about the safety
equipments. We were also introduced with the senior manager of Jhanjra Mr. Pravir mondal and
project manager Gopal Chandra Sinha. Then they supplied us the safety enclosures, i.e. helmets,
belts, mining shoes.
Visit Options
Due to lack of time we had to choose only one option between the longwall panel system on
surface visit and the underground working procedure experiencing. For underground working
procedure visit one has to walk about 6 km (3km forward towards coal face and 3 km return to
the shaft). But our Professors suggested us to visit the longwall panel system on surface; because
it is one of a kind and they haven’t installed this yet underground. So this was the only chance to
see this in whole country. So, we choose the second one. But the General Manager of Jhanjra
promised us that he will took us underground also after visiting the longwall panel.
Facility
This colliery is very safe and well established. There environment is eco-friendly and for any
accidental hazard the hospitality facility is also present near the colliery. If someone wants to live
in the colliery he may live because the guest house is also in this area. Over this colliery is far
away from hazards. In this colliery there are several fields in which new technology started and
this makes us more interest to visit and learning something. Behaviour of the staff and workers is
good and all the member of this colliery was cooperating us in this visit , for this work we are
very thaking to all the member of jhanjhra project.
1
Exam roll no.-511214025, Student, 3rd
semester (Mining Engineering), IIEST Shibpur, Session-2015-16

3. 3
Technical over view of Jhanjra MIC colliery
Anurag kumar jha2
Long wall Panel System Visit
After wearing the safety enclosures we were divided into two groups. One lead by Mr. P. K. Jha
and another group lead by Mr. Gopal Chandra Sinha. They took us to the longwall retreating
panel system which was placed on the surface. Mr Jha told us that the Jhanjra is one of the
biggest coal producing projects of ECL (Eastern Coal India Limited). It has a capacity of
producing 15 ton coal per day. He also told us that the Longwall system is 1.6 km long and its
width is 140 m. He elaborately told us about the coal cutting procedure of the AFC (Automated
Face Conveyor). The support system that they are using is the two legged power support, which
has a canopy at top and the canopy is connected with the base by two legs. The legs are run by
water jacks. The AFC is connected at the front, which transfers the coal from cutting blades to
the main conveyor. The main conveyor also has a panel which further cuts the coal into small
pieces and sends it to the surface. The panel has two simultaneous blades which cuts the coal
face and it is situated on the AFC. Mr Jha told us that they are planning to achieve highest
production by using this long wall panel system from Jhanjra project. He also showed us the
Continuous Miner (CM) which is use for creating bord and pillars in the coal seam.
Figure 1: longwall Panels
Ventilation Shaft Visit
Then after taking a break for 10 minutes we had visited the ventilation Shaft or Downcast (DC).
It is made to feed the air inside the mine. It has a huge fan connected upon the steel structure
2
Exam roll no.-511214025, Student, 3rd
semester (Mining Engineering), IIEST Shibpur, Session-2015-16

4. 4
which feeds air inside the shaft and through the downcast it goes to the coal seams where
excavation is going on. The ventilation system has another shaft Upcast (UC) through which air
comes out from the mine. In the figure 2, the forward one which had coloured red is the main
fan, feeding air in the downcast through the ventilation shaft and the shaft behind is the upcast,
made generally for human transport and coming out of air.
Figure 2: Shafts (upcast and downcast)
Underground Coal Face Visit
Then the mine authority provided us the lights that connected with a battery. The battery can be
attached with the mining belts, and it carries the complete weight of the battery. Mr. Sinha told
us that the lights are called the life-lines for underground because there is no light underground
except that. We went down 650 meter to the 3rd
coal seam by the shaft (upcast), through a lift.
Within the lift Mr. Sinha showed us the above two coal seams where complete excavation of
coal has already had been done. We started walking opposite to the dip direction and went
approximately 1km inside. Inside the coal seam Mr. Sinha showed us different type of supports
like mesh, roof bolts, props, cholks etc. We also noticed that walls were coloured white
underground to reflect light, it also somehow grouts the walls. We saw the air stoppers, which
were done by brick walls. We noticed the underground water pipeline systems also. After going
about 2 km inside we returned. Mr. Sinha showed us a part of mining plans of Jhanjra project.
He also told us that to ensure continuous productivity the work goes on here 24 hours in a day in
different shifts.
TABLE 1: Specifications of underground coal seams
Total no of seam 7
No. Of fully excavated coal seam 2
Distance from surface to 3rd
coal seam 650 m.
No. Of Continuous miner working 2
Type of Support used Mesh, Roof bolts, Steel props, Cholks

5. 5
Width of bords
Height of bords
End of visit
At 4 pm we went to the guest house of Jhanjra project MIC colliery, where we had lunch and
then after resting for a couple of minute we travelled back towards Aundal Station to reach our
home.
Key Features of Jhanjra Project
According to me the main features of this colliery are:
 Environment friendly operation
 Importance on safe and secure mining operation
 Modernisation, applying technically advanced procedures
Conclusions
I have enjoyed each and every bid of our visit to the Jhanjra project MIC colliery. Especially the
modernising aspect of mining operation has attracted me most. Jhanjra project has moved on
from the conventional Drilling and Blasting methods. The arrangements were also very good.
Very safe, secure and environment friendly mining operation is itself an example of the
excellence of Jhanjra.
Acknowledgements
I would like to like to articulate my deep gratitude to Mr. Gopal Chandra Sinha, Project
Msanager of Jhanjra Project for arranging such a great facility for us. I would also like to thank
Mr. P. K. Jha, project manager of Jhanjra for giving us such useful information related to the
mines; and also to the General Manager of Jhanjra Mr. Awadh Kishor Mishrafor giving us
permission to experience such a work.
A word of thanks also goes to our professors, Prof. Md. M. Islam and Prof. S. Mukherjee
for guiding us throughout the excursion. I would also want to thank the Head of our department
for giving us such scope to visit the Jhanjra project.