Executive Summary:
This document is the response of the Minister of Coal and Mines to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 596, dated 23.07.2025, regarding accidents in non-coal mines and illegal mining practices. It details common factors in non-coal mine accidents and the steps taken to address them, as well as measures to eradicate illegal mining and ensure miner safety. The response outlines actions by both the Central and State Governments.
Key Points / Main Content:
Accidents in Non-Coal Mines:
* Common factors identified in accidents include: fall of sides, fall of roof, fall of persons from height, transportation machinery (Winding Rope Haulages), collisions, run over by wheeled trackless machinery, and Explosives Blasting.
* The Mines Act, 1952, ensures occupational safety and health, with provisions for training, protective equipment, and medical examinations.
* The Directorate General of Mines Safety (DGMS) inspects mines to ensure compliance with the Mines Act, 1952, and its regulations.
* DGMS reduces fatalities through accident inquiries, mine inspections, standard protocols, safety conferences, safety weeks, and awareness campaigns.
Illegal Mining Practices:
* Illegal mining is a law and order issue under the purview of State authorities.
* Section 23C of the Mines and Minerals Development and Regulation (MMDR) Act, 1957, empowers State Governments to frame rules to prevent illegal mining.
* The Central Government supports State efforts through policy initiatives.
* The MMDR Amendment Act, 2015, introduced stringent punitive provisions for combating illegal mining via Sections 30B, 30C, 21, and 23C.
* Rule 45 of the Mineral Conservation and Development Rules (MCDR) 2017 ensures scientific management of mining and national-scale mineral accounting.
* The Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM) collaborates with the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) on a pilot project ("Sudoor Drushti") using satellite imagery to monitor mining activities.
* The Mining Surveillance System (MSS), launched in October 2016, uses space technology to detect illegal mining within 500m of lease boundaries, with alerts sent to State Governments for verification.
Impact Analysis:
State Governments:
* Impact: Responsible for preventing and controlling illegal mining within their jurisdiction, including enforcement of rules and regulations.
* Action Required: Frame and enforce rules to prevent illegal mining, investigate alerts from the Mining Surveillance System (MSS), and take action against illegal mining activities.
Mine Workers:
* Impact: Affected by safety regulations and practices in both coal and non-coal mines; potentially at risk from illegal mining activities.
* Action Required: Comply with safety regulations, utilize provided training and protective equipment, and report any unsafe practices or illegal mining activities.
Ministry of Labour and Employment:
* Impact: Responsible for providing information related to accidents in non-coal mines.
* Action Required: Continue to provide data and insights on accident causes to inform policy and safety measures.
Directorate General of Mines Safety (DGMS):
* Impact: Responsible for enforcing mine safety regulations and reducing fatalities in mines.
* Action Required: Conduct regular mine inspections, investigate accidents, develop safety protocols, and promote safety awareness.
Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM):
* Impact: Involved in monitoring mining activities and detecting illegal mining through the Mining Surveillance System (MSS) and collaboration with NRSC.
* Action Required: Continue to develop and implement technology-based solutions for monitoring mining activities and detecting illegal mining.
Key Entities Referenced
Shri G. Kishan Reddy: Minister of Coal and Mines, responsible for answering the parliamentary question.
Ministry of Labour and Employment: The ministry that provided information on common factors identified in accidents in noncoal mines.
Mines Act, 1952: Central government act to ensure occupational safety and health of mine workers.
Directorate General of Mines Safety DGMS: The organization entrusted with the inspection of mines to ensure compliance with the Mines Act, 1952.
Ministry of Mines: The ministry that has informed about Section 23C of the MMDR Act, 1957 and its role in preventing illegal mining.
Mines and Minerals Development and Regulation MMDR Act, 1957: The act that empowers State Governments to frame rules to prevent illegal mining.
Mineral Conservation and Development Rules MCDR 2017: Rules that provide measures to ensure scientific management of the mining process.
Indian Bureau of Mines IBM: A subordinate office of the Ministry of Mines, that has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding MoU with National Remote Sensing Centre NRSC.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF COAL
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 596
TO BE ANSWERED ON 23.07.2025
Accidents in Non-Coal Mines
596. Shri Tanuj Punia:
Will the Minister of Coal be pleased to state:
(a) the details of common factors identified in accidents in non-coal mines and the
manner in which they are being addressed; and
(b) the steps taken by the Government to eradicate illegal mining practices such as
rathole mining and ensure the safety of miners in regions where these methods are
prevalent?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF COAL AND MINES
(SHRI G. KISHAN REDDY)
(a): Ministry of Labour and Employment has informed that the common factors
identified in accidents in non-coal mines are fall of sides, fall of roof, fall of persons
from height, transportation machinery (Winding & Rope Haulages), collisions & run-
over by wheeled trackless machinery, Explosives & Blasting etc.
The Central Government has enacted the Mines Act, 1952 to ensure occupational
safety & health of mine workers including coal mines. The act has provisions for
training, protective equipment, medical examination etc. The Directorate General of
Mines Safety (DGMS) has been entrusted with the task of inspection of mines to
ensure the compliance of the provisions of Mines Act, 1952 and rules and regulations
framed thereunder for enhancing the safety of mine workers. Accordingly, DGMS has
taken various steps to reduce fatalities in mines and enforce the safety of workers
engaged therein, which inter alia include conducting regular enquires into the
accidents and dangerous occurrences to ascertain cause and circumstances, regular
inspection of mines, development of standard protocols, holding national conferences
on safety in mines, observance of safety weeks, campaigns, awareness etc.
(b): Illegal mining such as rat hole mining is a law and order issue and falls under the
purview of the respective state authorities. Ministry of Mines has informed that the
Section 23C of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) (MMDR) Act,
1957 empowers the State Government to frame rules to prevent illegal mining,
transportation and storage of minerals and for purposes connected therewith.
Therefore, the control of illegal mining is primarily the responsibility of the State
Government. The Central Government supports and augments these efforts through
1policy initiatives from time to time. Some of the steps taken by the Central Government
for the prevention and control of illegal mining are as follows:
(i) The Mines and Mineral (Development and Regulation) (MMDR) Act, 1957 was
amended through the MMDR Amendment Act, 2015, which came into effect from 12th
January, 2015. Wherein Section 30B and 30C read with section 21 and 23C, inter-
alia, provides stringent punitive provisions for combating illegal mining.
(ii) Rule 45 of the Mineral Conservation and Development Rules (MCDR) 2017,
provides for measures to ensure scientific management of the mining process. It also
facilitates end-to-end national-scale accounting of all minerals produced in the country
from the pit head to end-use, reducing the scope for illegal mining, royalty evasion,
etc.
(iii) Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM) (a subordinate office of the Ministry), has entered
into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with National Remote Sensing Centre
(NRSC), for a pilot project “Sudoor Drushti” to demonstrate the feasibility of using
High-Resolution Satellite imagery and Digital Elevation Model (DEM) in monitoring
mining activities/changes over a period of time over selected group of mines.
(iv) The Ministry of Mines has launched the Mining Surveillance System (MSS) in
October 2016. It aims at developing a system for detection of the incidence of illegal
mining by use of space technology and surveillance of the area up to 500m outside
the lease boundary to check incidences of illegal mining. If discrepancies are detected,
alerts are generated and sent to the respective State Government for ground
verification.
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