Mining tycoon, an exciting new event, aims to capture the fundamental connection between mining and management that goes back to the industrial revolution. It challenges the contestants’ ability to analyze a given case, appreciate the interconnections and come up with the best solution encompassing all the possibilities.

In this event, the contestants present a solution for a given case. The main idea of the event is to analyze the given case and exhibit presentation skills within the restricted space of expression.

Coal mining, particularly surface mining, requires large areas of land to be temporarily disturbed. This raises a number of environmental challenges, including soil erosion, dust, noise and water pollution, and impacts on local biodiversity. By carefully pre-planning projects, implementing pollution control measures, monitoring the effects of mining and rehabilitating mined areas, the coal industry minimises the impact of its activities on the neighbouring community, the immediate environment and on long-term land capability.

The ABC Collieries Limited is a major coal producing company in India having operations in Andhra Pradesh. It is the second largest private sector enterprise in the State of Andhra Pradesh in terms of manpower employing 69,225 workforces.

The company is environmentally conscious, responsible and proactive. It’s prime objective is to ensure that coal mines are operated in a manner that protects citizen and the environment during mining, to ensure that the land is restored to beneficial use following mining and to mitigate the effects of past mining by aggressively pursuing reclamation of mines.

The ABC Collieries is planning for the acquisition of 1000 hectare of land for its new opencast project. The land to be acquired includes 50% of forest land and 50% of land owned by individual owners.

Reclamation & Rehabilitation

Coal mining is only a temporary use of land, so it is vital that rehabilitation of land takes place along and after all mining operations ceases. In best practice a detailed rehabilitation or reclamation plan is designed and approved for each coal mine, covering the period from the start of operations until well after mining has finished.

Mine reclamation activities are undertaken gradually – with the shaping and contouring of spoil piles, replacement of topsoil, seeding with grasses and planting of trees taking place on the mined-out areas. Care is taken to relocate streams, wildlife, and other valuable resources.

As mining operations cease in one section of a surface mine, bulldozers and scrapers are used to reshape the disturbed area. Drainage within and off the site is carefully designed to make the new land surface as stable and resistant to soil erosion as the local environment allows. Based on the soil requirements, the land is suitably fertilised and revegetated. Reclaimed land can have many uses, including agriculture, forestry, wildlife habitation and recreation.

Companies carefully monitor the progress of rehabilitation and usually prohibit the use of the land until the vegetation is self-supporting. The cost of the rehabilitation of the mined land is factored into the mine’s operating costs.

Owing to the presence of a river near the project area, certain precautions and techniques will have to be adopted. The river is a source of water for the people living in the area and care has to be taken to maintain its quality.

The population to be displaced is found to be greater than the number of vacancies in the particular project.

Also an excessive amount of sulphur is found to be present in the land. Therefore, care will have to be taken to ensure that erosion or run-off of the ore dump does not affect the potability of water.

The participants are supposed to prepare a roadmap for acquisition of land including reclamation and rehabilitation measures.

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• A report has to be submitted online emphasizing their basis of analysis.
• The participants are supposed to present their solution to a panel of eminent judges.
• The entire presentation should not exceed 30 minutes.
• The last date for submission of report is on 23, October, 2011.
• Organizers’ decision will be final and binding.

• Understanding of the problem.
• Method of analysis
• Presentation of solutions or ideas
• Practical feasibility or implication of ideas

Q) Is there any registration fee for the event?

A) No, the event is entirely free.

Q) What is the duration of presentation?

A) All presentations should be limited to 30 minutes.

Q) What should the report describe?

A)  The report should briefly describe what the participants understand from the case. A rough idea of the solutions to the problem must be conveyed in the report. It must not exceed 600 words

Tamil Selvam - (+91) 9535618565

Mail your queries/submissions to miningevents@engineer.org.in