GMDC Targets FY 2025 for Groundbreaking of Baitarani West Coal Mine.

The Gujarat Mineral Development Corporation (GMDC) is gearing up for the groundbreaking ceremony of its first coal mine in Odisha, the Baitarani West Opencast Coal Mine, set to take place in the next financial year, according to official sources.

Ahead of the ceremony, the State Pollution Control Board of Odisha will hold a pivotal environmental public hearing on September 24 for the 15 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) coal project in Angul district. This hearing is crucial for the project, which represents a significant ₹8,000 crore investment by GMDC over 35 years.

The Baitarani West Coal Mine marks GMDC's first venture outside Gujarat, following the cancellation of a previous coal block allocation in Chhattisgarh. Spanning 1,196 hectares, the mine encompasses areas in Chhendipada tehsil of Angul district, including Chhendipada Jangal, Handigora, Machhakuta Jangal, Porapara, Porapara Jangal, and Tentuloi-Korasahi. GMDC, which typically handles 6-9 MTPA of various minerals, including lignite in Gujarat, aims to reach the peak rated capacity of 15 MTPA at this Odisha coal block by 2030, as per sources.

The land acquisition plan for the Baitarani mine includes 154 hectares of government land and approximately 200 hectares of private land. GMDC anticipates that the mine, with a geological reserve of 1,152 million tonnes, will rank among the top 20 coal mines in India.

In March 2024, GMDC unveiled a ₹663-crore Land and Resettlement and Rehabilitation plan to support the 1,500 families affected by the project. Baitarani West is one of two coal blocks GMDC secured in March 2023, with the second being the Burapahar block in Sundargarh district, which holds a geological reserve of 548 million tonnes. In July 2024, GMDC was also awarded a third coal block in Odisha, the Kudanali-Luburi mine, which boasts an estimated reserve of 396 million tonnes of thermal coal.

HBL