Gevra Mine of Chhattisgarh Will be the Largest Coal Mine in Asia

The Gevra mine, a subsidiary of Coal India located in Chhattisgarh, is set to become the largest coal mine in Asia. 

• It has recently received environmental clearance to increase its production capacity to 70 million tons per annum from the current 52.5 million tons. 
• The Ministry of Coal has played a crucial role in coordinating with the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEFCC) to achieve this clearance in a record time, keeping in mind the importance of Gevra in meeting the energy needs of the nation as one of the megaprojects of SECL. 
• Shri Prem Sagar Misha, CMD, SECL said that the Ministry of Coal has guided the Coal India team to achieve a historic milestone. We have a vision for Gevra to become the largest coal mine in the world with state-of-the-art mining operations, and this is a significant milestone towards that journey.
• The SECL management expressed its gratitude to the Ministry for their support in securing the EC for the Gevra mine and called it a historic day for them, as the largest coal mine in Asia will soon be located in the state of Chhattisgarh. 
• They also thanked the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEFCC) for their support and swift action in granting the EC, as well as the agencies of Centre and State and the Chhattisgarh Government.

Gevra mine

Gevra is one of the megaprojects of South Eastern Coalfields Limited and became the largest coal mine in the country last year, with an annual production of 52.5 million tons for FY 22-23, contributing towards the energy security of the country for more than 40 years. 

Eco-friendly blast-free mining technology in the form of Surface Miner, Ripper Mining, has been employed in the mine, and high-capacity HEMM machines are used for overburden removal. 

It also has first-mile connectivity equipped with conveyor belts, Silos, and Rapid Loading Systems for swift and eco-friendly coal evacuation