Hundreds of abandoned mines have become reservoirs holding water that experts say is safe to use. Communities are now betting on them, not only for domestic supply, but also to drive livelihoodsCommunities and officials grappling with the problem of tapped water supply in coal-belt states are courting an unlikely ally to bring about a change of fortune: abandoned coal mine pits. Hundreds of such pits have turned into reservoirs filled with water, emerging as a simple solution in areas that have only known perennial shortage. Though the idea is not new, the Centre is finally doubling down on it, identifying more than a hundred such pits to ease water woes across six states.The concerted push is the outcome of a recent study — the first of its kind — by the Ranchi-based Central Mine Planning & Design Institute (CMPDI). It said that 437 mine voids across both active and abandoned coal mines have an annual capacity of an estimated 2,760 lakh kilolitres of water — that’s enough to fill about 11,000 Olympic-sized pools. CMPDI followed up the findings by identifying 22 sites across six states for pilot projects. Eight of those sites are in Jharkhand, which is sort of the bellwether for this initiative.Coal’s new ‘faucet’It was in Dec 2021 that the sound of running water greeted residents of Pondi panchayat in Jharkhand’s Ramgarh district. But it wasn’t a newly dug well, the common source of water for households and villages across large parts of the country. Sparing Pondi any spadework, quite literally, but endowing it with a ready lifeline was the abandoned ‘Ara mine’ number 8, a relic of Central Coalfields Ltd (CCL) lying dormant for years.The Pondi experiment was part of a handful of pilots for using water collected in mines — which is essentially rainwater and also underground seepage — that had been undertaken in coal-bearing areas in the last few years. It is their success that has now prompted the Union coal ministry to scale up efforts. Speaking to TOI during his visit to Ranchi recently, Union coal minister G Kishan Reddy said utilisation of mine water was one of the priorities of their govt and that they are putting in place a detailed action plan to make it happen.“Unfortunately, mine closures earlier used to rarely take place per prescribed norms. But now we have decided to focus on sustainable closure of mines to reduce environmental woes and create livelihood linkages. We are now targeting as many as 143 mines, where mining activities are over,” he said.
“The plan is to use the water accumulated in these mines for various purposes, including employment generation. So far, some nine closures have taken place, but an action plan is being prepared on priority for closures of the remaining ones in next three to four years,” he added.Safe and sureIf abandoned coal mines are being pursued to address water scarcity it’s because they’ve been found to be a safe, and scalable, bet. Experts say the water in these mines poses no hazards, while filtration and treatment plants have been put in place to improve its quality. “Unlike Western scenarios, where mine water is acidic, water from most Indian coal mines is suitable for domestic, industrial, and agricultural use with only moderate treatment,” said the CMPDI report. The treated water is even considered viable for bottled-water production. The experience on the ground has certainly been encouraging.The quiet initiation of the project during the pandemic in Pondi has now grown to become a lifeline for 1,600 households across eight villages. People who had to walk miles in search of water can now just turn on their tap. Rural homemakers like Savita Devi (40) of Bongahara village hail the easy access to water at their doorstep. “Now, water from the mine directly reaches my house. I also use it for cooking. This leaves me with time for other work,” she said. Popal Devi (52), the Pondi panchayat mukhiya, said the project would perhaps reverse the trend of migration from the area due to severe water scarcity.Making the water potable involves a multi-step treatment process. A 1.4 million litres per day (MLD) capacity water treatment plant was set up in the village into which the water from the closed mine is lifted daily. It undergoes filtration using limestone, sandpit, and chlorine before being stored in a well and moved to two overhead tanks for daily supply. To ensure the system’s sustainability, the panchayat has appointed two women, known as ‘jal sahiyas’, to inspect the pipelines and collect a monthly water payment of Rs 62 per household.Tarun Paliwal, CMPDI’s public relations officer, said the study benchmarked mine water quality against Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) classifications and BIS:10500 standards. “In a review meeting held on Aug 8 this year, the coal secretary lauded CMPDI and directed coal companies to develop action plans for treating and reusing mine water to enhance local community well-being and water security,” he said.Water, water everywherePondi is not an isolated story. About 100km away in Piparwar, CCL rolled out a similar pilot. “In Bachra and adjoining villages alone, water from the closed mine pit is being supplied to around 3,000 households, besides the CCL’s Piparwar officers’ colony,” said an official of the environment wing of the Piparwar project area.“Across the Piparwar area, we have set up around eight mini water filtration plants from where people can access water. For example, the filtration plant at CCL hospital in Piparwar generates 2,000 MGD water/hour for in-house use,” the official added.Abhay Singh, chief scientist at the Dhanbad-based Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research (CIMFR), said that except for NorthEastern India, their studies, too, have revealed that water from mine pits can easily be put to good use.“In Assam and Meghalaya, water in the mines has heavy metals and has 7-8% acidity vis-a-vis 1-2% in the rest of the country. Scaling up mine water usage in the country can provide answers to challenges of water scarcity,” he said, adding that although a few independent projects are underway across coal-bearing regions in India, there is a need for a consolidated push for a mine-water utilisation mission.According to a statement from Coal India Ltd (CIL), mine water usage for community benefit is not a new concept. In the fiscal year 202425, CIL’s mine discharge was approximately 5,717 lakh kilolitres, with over 45% (around 2,572 LKL) shared for community use. Minister Reddy has told Rajya Sabha that CIL, NLC India Ltd, and Singareni Collieries Company Ltd (SCCL) are all actively utilising treated mine water. CIL alone is supplying water to 878 villages, benefiting about 11.7 lakh people. NLCIL in Tamil Nadu supplies treated mine water for both power generation and drinking, benefiting 9.6 lakh locals. Go to Source
