The document discusses several issues with the current Indian legislation regarding mining and proposes updates to support developing world-class mining in India. It identifies gaps in the existing Coal Mines Regulations, such as lack of environmental management plans and minimum educational requirements. It proposes 15 legislative changes, such as granting longer-term permissions, allowing self-regulation, and incorporating modern technologies. The conclusion argues that India can adopt foreign technologies but not their safety standards unless regulations are updated based on scientific studies to achieve the goal of zero accidents.

1. Legislative support for developing
World class Mining
Lolla Sudhakar* M. Venkat Ramana Rao**
SYNOPSIS:
It is well known that Mining is an arduous and hazardous job. Over the years the
different technologies have evolved and modified according to the conditions, but the
common fact is that, accidents are playing a major role in every technology and in
every work. The Indian legislation is developed based on the experiences gained from
these accidents and is under going number of amendments based on each of the
accident that is taking place in all over India in different coal fields. This clearly shows
that there is a definite gap between the systems that are to be needed and the systems
that are presently existing and practicing. This paper deals with some of the aspects
where the law is to be clearly defined and made perfect so as to achieve zero accident
potential in every technology and in every work making the Mining as world class.
INTRODUCTION
India is the third largest coal producer in the world producing about 380MT of
coal. Presently the maximum percentage of coal output in Coal India and SCCL is
coming from large opencast mines where as underground mining is still at the back steps.
Mechanization culture is improved in almost all the opencast mines, but there is lot to be
done to underground to sustain in future. As a result of mechanization the number of
accidents that are taking place earlier are reduced tremendously and settled at a constant
level of around 100 fatalities and around 500 serious injuries. Accident statistics from
1972 is given below (refer www.coal.nic.in).
Accidents Trend
2500 Fatalities
serious injuries
2000
1500
1000
500
0
1972
1975
1985
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
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* Additional Manager, Mech. Cell ** Under Manager, Corporate Planning
THE SINGARENI COLLIEIRES COMPANY LIMITED, KOTHAGUDEM

2. From the above graph it is clear that the trend of both fatal and serious accidents is almost
following the same profile and accidents are tremendously reduced with the introduction
of mechanization, but still lot is to be done to make the accidents to zero, which can be
made possible with some changes or modification to the existing coal mines regulations
along with some other factors. This paper mainly discuss about the things that are not
dealt perfectly in present regulations and also the future changes or additions that are
needed to make the regulations flexible and perfect so as to achieve zero accident
potential.
LACUNAS IN THE PRESENT COAL MINES REGULATIONS:
1. Reg. 6: There is no significance is given to Environmental Management Plan
(EMP) before abandoning or closing down a mine.
2. Reg. 8A: There is no prescribed qualification is mentioned for the person to be
appointed as agent, who will act on behalf of the owner in respect of management,
control, supervision or direction of the mine. This can allow a person having no
knowledge in mining can also be appointed as agent.
3. Reg. 10: If a person is affected with any occupational dieses after his retirement
or superannuation, then he has to give free treatment and should be paid by the
compensation as stipulated, by the Company in which he worked earlier. There is
no mention regarding this in this present regulation.
4. Reg. 15: In this it is mentioned that, to a person to attend the examination for
Manager’s, Surveyor’s, Overman’s, Sirdar’s or Shot firerer’s certificate, he has to
submit to DGMS a valid first aid certificate obtained from St. John Ambulance
Association. But there is no mention in the regulations regarding the periodic
check of the first aid certificate after he passes the specified exam.
5. Reg. 16 & 31: Since the present and future mines are operating with huge
machinery having more technical aspects to be understood by the manager to deal
the problems smoothly which demands a definite educational qualification not
less than Bachelor of Engineering in Mining. Hence DGMS may have to think in
these lines and keep the prescribed qualification as a minimum requirement for a
future manager.
6. Reg. 17 & 35: In case of Surveyor also, no where it is mentioned the basic
educational qualification required for a person to be appointed as a surveyor.
Since the entire excavations in mining are done according to the survey lines
provided which demands for higher accuracy. Hence a minimum qualification of
degree in civil or mining engineering is a prerequisite for a person to be appointed
as surveyor.
7. Reg. 28: Retirement age is to be reduced to 50 years only. Since the hard work
that is done in the field and the physical condition of the person needed in the

3. highly mechanized mines demands early retirement so as to have no effect on the
health of a person in old age.
8. Reg. 38: While employing the new persons in the mine a minimum qualification
level is to be fixed, since the present and future mining operations are mostly
mechanized and technical.
9. Reg. 41: Manager is to be given with some more powers like financial, planning,
etc. and certain relaxations are to be given in responsibility matters and some of
the responsibilities are to be shared along the safety officer and other officers of
the mine.
10. Reg. 43 & 44: Overmans and Sirdars are to be given with some additional powers
so as to make quick and timely decisions and does not wait every time for the
orders from the superior officials.
11. Reg. 58: Relaxations and additional conditions required to be imposed with the
introduction of computerized plans are to be incorporated in this regulation.
12. Reg. 59: In any mine, not only the plans mentioned in these regulations are to be
kept but also the plans prepared during the preparation of feasibility report, like
floor contour plan, iso-chore plan, iso-thickness plan, iso-grade plan, etc. are to be
kept at the mine under statutory supervision and they are to be checked constantly
for guidance.
13. Reg. 99: The width of the roadways mentioned against depth will not match to the
technology adopted in future mines, hence guidelines are to be framed depending
on the type of technology used and widths to be maintained. Similarly the pillar
sizes are to be designed with technical background.
14. Reg. 100(5): It is mentioned in this regulation “Whether the method of extraction
is to remove all the coal or as much of the coal as practicable and to allow the
roof to cave in, the operations shall be conducted in such a way as to leave as
small an area of uncollapsed roof as possible with due to danger from an air-
blast or weighting on pillars. Where possible, suitable means shall be adopted to
bring down the goaf at regular intervals.”, but there is no mention about the
method of bringing down the goaf and guidelines to be followed while adopting
any available method.
15. Reg. 127: The recent past inundation accidents are mainly due to inaccurate plans.
Hence sufficient guidelines are to be formed to prevent inundation accidents in
future and strict compliance are to be issued regarding the accuracy of mine plans.
16. Reg. 131: It is mentioned in this regulation that every main mechanical ventilator
shall be so installed, designed and maintained in a such a way that the air current
can be reversed when ever necessary. But it is not mentioned in this regulation

4. that under which circumstances and conditions the air current is to be reversed
and there are no specific guidelines for the same.
LEGISLATIVE CHANGES NEEDED:
1. The present system of taking permission to work each panel in the mine is to be
altered and permission is to be granted at a time for whole the mine and periodic
reviews are to be done carefully and extra care is to be focused in case of any
change in the prevailing conditions.
2. Mine authorities are to be made self regulatory and given with full permissions to
establish certain systems and standards basing on scientific studies.
3. Modern technologies in dealing different major problems in mining like strata
control and mine environmental problems are to be incorporated in the law and
regularly amended based on the technological upgradation.
4. Compressed air and diesel operated equipments are to be given permission to use
in underground mines & law is to be modified accordingly.
5. A separate set of rules and regulations are to be made for major and most modern
technologies like Mechanized opencast, Longwall, etc.
6. The time period required to grant any permission by DGMS in normal cases is to
be made specific and mining authorities are to be granted with the right to start
the work after the completion of the specified time.
7. Scientific institutions involved in different studies conducted on various problems
in the field of mining are to be made responsible for the studies conducted and the
recommendations made in the reports submitted.
8. Constant review and regular attention of DGMS is needed from the project
formulation stage it self.
9. Permission is to be granted by DGMS to work in all the three shifts during
exploration of mining blocks.
10. The specifications and standards mentioned in Coal Mines Regulations, 1957 are
to be explained in a detailed and with technical background separately so as to
have a clear understanding.
11. Every work should have a clear method study and each person who is supposed to
do that work is to be made clear and is to be thoroughly trained before deploying
that person on that work.

5. 12. Systems are to be developed and put under practice so as to avoid the information
gap between each level which may results in to accidents.
13. Importance is to be given to Self-Regulation rather than waiting for a decision to
come from higher Officials.
CONCLUSION
It is clear from observing the Indian mining industry that, India can only import
and adopt different technologies from foreign countries, but not the culture and the
standards what they are maintaining, thereby continuing the danger of accidents at a
much more higher level than to be achieved. It is known fact that the Indian coal mines
regulations are developed mostly based on the experience acquired from the different
accidents taking place at different mines in the country. Now the time has come to alter
the regulations depending on the scientific studies, other wise the implementation of
future technologies to achieve zero accident potential will become a dream.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The views expressed are those of the authors and should not be attributed to
Singareni Collieries. Nor do any of the conclusions represent the official policy of
Singareni Collieries or its Directors or the country they represent.
REFERENCES
1. Coal Mines Regulations, 1957
2. National seminar on Policies, Statues & Legislation in Mines, 2005.
3. www.coal.nic.in