Green Mining: How India is progressively shifting towards sustainable mining practices

India is working on maintaining a balance between increasing coal mining output and strategic reduction of resulting byproducts of pollution. This process of green mining, which involves mining while mitigating environmental degradation, requires the adoption of advanced mining techniques. India boasts two of the world's ten largest coal mines that are employing some of the advanced mining machines to go green. They are making use of the "surface miner," a cutting-edge technology that extracts and processes coal without blasting, promoting eco-friendly mining operations.

Green mining involves the implementation of eco-friendly practices and technologies like renewable energy sources, recycling mine waste, minimizing water consumption, and employing sustainable extraction techniques to reduce its environmental impact.

One significant practice being adopted in the process of green mining is the reclamation of mined-out areas and extensive afforestation in and around coal-bearing areas with native flora. State-owned enterprises, or as called public sector units, have been now involved in making consistently sincere efforts to reduce footprints of coal mining through well-designed and approved mine closure plans, with detailed provisions of mine closure activities. These have been successfully executed in open caste mines in the Indian states of Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Telangana.

Under the National Hydrogen Mission, there are conversations about repurposing the phasing out coal mines for green hydrogen production as well. This would be a cost-effective solution in addressing problems of land and freshwater availability, along with infrastructure with for hydrogen production, along with providing employment opportunities to erst-while coal-dependent communities.

Moving towards sustainable mining practices, Sesa Sterlite Limited has adopted biotechnology solutions, including disposal of mine tailings and reuse of mine water after the beneficiation process. Advanced technologies like acid mist suppressants, dust control systems, electrostatic precipitators, scrubbers, process ventilation systems, and pollution control systems are now being successively adopted by mining companies, especially by private sector companies.

The adoption of green mining alters the way mining is done at all stages of operations. These practices are majorly categorized under seven broad major heads in the mining supply chain: fugitive dust control, reduction of greenhouse gas emission, noise control, water management, recycling and re-use practices, waste management, and dump stabilization practices.The rampant adoption of green supply chain management in India has been a welcome move. India has been making progress under each of the following heads across its mining of iron, coal, and manganese. For instance, Hindustan Zinc Limited has adopted paste backfilling procedures, which uses tailings, cement, and water to form a paste-like substance that is then pumped back into mining-created subsurface spaces to control waste output produced during mining.

As per Renewable Watch, Neyveli Lignite Corporation of India Limited has become the first public sector entity in the country to achieve a solar power generation capacity of more than 1 GW, with an aim to attain a total renewable energy capacity of 6,031 MW by 2030. Coal India Limited is developing solar power projects, with a road map for 3 GW of solar power generation by 2023-24, and intends to invest around Rs 426 billion in green energy and low-emission infrastructure for fossil fuel mining to achieve India’s net-zero targets.

The big push for sustainable mining has a strong government mandate. Indian coal and lignite companies intend an investment of over Rs 150 billion in 5,560 MW of renewable energy capacity to meet the goal of 500 GW of non-fossil energy capacity by 2030. A survey was undertaken by the Indian Bureau of Mines last year for 293 mines for the installation of renewable energy plants across the mining sites in the country. It was found that the total installed renewable energy plant capacity at these sites was 583 MW (wind and solar combined).

Currently, the adoption is concentrated chiefly with big players in the industry, but over time, with the availability of more affordable technologies, the technologies are expected to reach out to smaller players as well.

The mining Industry in India is ambitiously going green, whether it is in the adoption of cleaner and more efficient advanced technologies, resorting to renewable energy solutions, or using proper management of phasing out mines to avoid derelict land use. These measures are also in tandem with the various SDGs on clean water and sanitation, climate action, energy access and sustainability, and responsible consumption and production. Achieving sustainable and green development is challenging in the mining industry, but technological advancement, national policies, and readiness on the part of the mining companies, as showcased in India, is a recipe for the path of successful decoupling of growth and environmental degradation.