Environment, Safety and Health Issues in India with Specific Reference to Informal Coal Mining

Safety norms for workers are largely ignored by mining companies despite frequent accidents. For the companies, mineral extraction is the primary focus and the safety of their workers never bothers them. This paper reviews the safety measures taken for the workers as per Mines Act in Indian mines and the functioning of the Directorate General of Mine Safety in implementing the mine safety measures. This paper also examines the informal coal mining activities in the areas. Grinding poverty has led to the development of such informal small-scale economic activity, which enables poor people to survive despite low profits and high risks. However, small mines are not synonymous with informal mines, except in terms of scale. This article looks into the problem of such informal mining existing in the eastern Indian collieries. In Raniganj, with an annual formal coal production of about 28 Mt, yield from informal mines may amount to I Mt and about 0.2 million people are engaged in informal mining activities. It highlights the different mining accidents occurred in coal mines and actions taken up by the coal companies for the reduction of mine accidents, control of mine fires and subsidence, and the various mine rescue services provided. This paper also stresses the need for a new moral economy for mining regions.