The Ministry of Coal released AAROH, India’s first comprehensive annual report on scientific mine closure, documenting the transformation of 42 coal mines into ecologically restored landscapes. Union Minister G Kishan Reddy also signed an Implementation Agreement with Germany’s GIZ for technical cooperation on to-be-closed coal mines and inaugurated Coal NEER Plants that convert mine water into drinking water. These initiatives mark a fundamental shift in India’s approach to mine closure from seeing it as an endpoint to treating it as a new beginning for communities and the environment.
The Shift Towards Scientific Mine Closure
Mine closure is a critical phase in the mining lifecycle. It involves sealing and stabilising exhausted mines, reclaiming land, treating mine voids, managing overburden dumps, and restoring the ecological and social utility of the site. Until recently, mine closure in India was largely unscientific and ad hoc, leaving behind degraded land and unsafe structures.
The regulatory framework for mine closure has evolved significantly over the years. The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 first introduced the provision for progressive mine closure plans. The Coal Mines Regulations, 1957 (amended in 2017) required protective works before abandoning mines. Comprehensive guidelines for mine closure plans were issued by the Ministry of Coal in August 2009, with subsequent updates in 2012, 2013, 2019, 2020, and most recently in January 2025.
The Ministry of Coal has introduced several frameworks to institutionalise scientific mine closure. The RECLAIM Framework, launched in July 2025, is a community engagement and development framework developed by the Coal Controller Organisation in partnership with the Heartfulness Institute. It provides a structured, bottom-up approach to inclusive community participation during mine closure and post-closure phases, with special emphasis on gender inclusivity and representation of vulnerable groups. The L.I.V.E.S. Framework guides sustainable mine closure and repurposing, while SUVIKALP is an interactive decision-support tool that helps evaluate post-mining land-use options.
India has identified 147 coal mines for closure over the next two to three years. A corpus of approximately ₹40,000 crore has been created for this purpose, with 25% of the approved mine closure cost allocated for community development over the next decade.
AAROH: Documenting India’s Mine Closure Journey
The AAROH Annual Report on Mine Closure was developed by the Coal Controller Organisation (CCO), a subordinate office of the Ministry of Coal headquartered in Kolkata. The CCO, established in 1916 as the office of the Coal Commissioner, is one of the oldest offices in India’s coal sector and serves as the major source of coal statistics for the government.
AAROH provides India’s first comprehensive documentation of scientific mine closure and repurposing practices. For each of the 42 closed mines, the report presents:
- Key closure initiatives undertaken
- Post-mining land-use outcomes
- Before-and-after visual documentation
- QR code-enabled documentary videos capturing the transformation journey
The report showcases how scientific reclamation, ecological restoration, sustainable post-mining land utilisation, and community-centric interventions have turned former mining areas into productive landscapes. Closed mine land has been converted into water bodies, green cover, and other community assets. The publication serves as a knowledge repository, offering valuable insights for future mine closure and repurposing efforts across the sector.
India-Germany Partnership on Mine Closure
The Ministry of Coal signed an Implementation Agreement with Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), the German development agency, for technical cooperation on to-be-closed coal mines. GIZ has been operating in India for decades and works on behalf of the German government in the field of international cooperation for sustainable development.
The project is commissioned by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) of Germany and co-financed by the European Union (EU). It has a total volume of €10 million and will be implemented until 2030. The project’s objective is to initiate the sustainable closure and repurposing of abandoned and about-to-be-closed Indian coal mines according to Just Transition principles, which ensure that workers and communities dependent on coal mining are not left behind during the transition.
Key activities under the agreement include:
- Development and implementation of mine closure plans
- Capacity building for sustainable mine closure practices
- Gender-equitable socio-economic development in affected regions
- Institutional strengthening and knowledge exchange between India and Germany
This partnership brings German technical expertise in mine reclamation, which is particularly valuable given Germany’s own experience in phasing out coal mining in regions such as the Ruhr Valley.
Coal NEER Plants: Mine Water for Drinking
The Minister virtually inaugurated Coal NEER Plants established by Coal India Limited (CIL) through its subsidiaries. NEER stands for water in Hindi, and these plants are integrated water purification and bottling complexes that treat mine water and convert it into safe drinking water.
Coal India Limited, headquartered in Kolkata and established in November 1975, is the world’s largest coal producer by output. It is a Maharatna central public sector enterprise under the administrative control of the Ministry of Coal, with the Government of India holding approximately 63% equity. CIL operates through seven wholly owned producing subsidiaries: Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL), Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL), Central Coalfields Limited (CCL), Western Coalfields Limited (WCL), South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL), Northern Coalfields Limited (NCL), and Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL).
The Coal NEER initiative was first started by Western Coalfields Limited (WCL) in Nagpur, where the first Coal NEER integrated water purification and bottling complex was set up at Patansaongi village in 2017. The newly inaugurated plants extend this model to other coal-bearing regions, improving access to clean drinking water for communities living in mining areas. The initiative aligns with the government’s commitment to enhancing the quality of life in areas impacted by mining operations.
Skill Development Initiative in Jharia
Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL) and the Jharia Rehabilitation and Development Authority (JRDA) signed tripartite Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with Hindalco Industries Ltd (part of the Aditya Birla Group) and Rajdhani Universal Fabrics Pvt Ltd to establish an Industry-Linked Skill Centre in the Dhanbad region of Jharkhand.
The MoUs were signed under the Revised Jharia Master Plan, which aims to rehabilitate families affected by coal mine fires and subsidence in the Jharia coalfield. JRDA was established in December 2004 to implement rehabilitation and resettlement of non-BCCL residents living in fire and subsidence-affected areas of Jharia.
Key features of the initiative include:
- Establishment of a Vocational Training Centre at the Rehabilitation Township
- Setting up of a modern Plug-and-Play Textile Manufacturing Facility
- Special focus on providing employment to rehabilitated families, women, and youth
The project will offer training programmes followed by direct employment opportunities in the textile manufacturing unit, ensuring that rehabilitation goes beyond housing to provide sustainable livelihoods and self-reliance for affected communities.
Key Takeaways
- The Ministry of Coal released the AAROH Annual Report on Mine Closure, providing India’s first comprehensive documentation of scientific mine closure across 42 coal mines.
- The Coal Controller Organisation (CCO), headquartered in Kolkata, developed the AAROH report. The CCO was established in 1916 and is one of the oldest offices in India’s coal sector.
- The Ministry of Coal signed an Implementation Agreement with GIZ (Germany’s development agency) for technical cooperation on to-be-closed coal mines, with a project volume of €10 million funded by BMZ and EU until 2030.
- 147 coal mines have been identified for closure with a corpus of approximately ₹40,000 crore, of which 25% will go towards community development.
- Coal India Limited (CIL), established in 1975 and headquartered in Kolkata, inaugurated Coal NEER Plants that convert mine water into drinking water for mining-affected communities.
- BCCL and JRDA signed tripartite MoUs with Hindalco Industries Ltd to establish an Industry-Linked Skill Centre for apparel manufacturing training under the Revised Jharia Master Plan.
