In news– Amid protests over land issues over Deucha Panchami by various organizations, the West Bengal Chief Minister has recently increased the monetary package for the tribals in Deucha Panchami.
About the Deucha Panchami coal block-
- The Deucha-Panchami-Dewanganj-Harinsingha coal block is the newest coal mine in the Birbhum district of West Bengal state.
- It is the second-largest coal block in the world and is the largest in India.
- The block has a thick coal seam trapped between equally thick layers of rocks, mostly basalt.
- The existence of these thick basalt layers, however, makes mining of coal difficult.
- More foreign investment and technology will be hence needed for mining.
- However, a total of 21,000 people will be displaced.
- India’s abundant domestic reserves are in the states of Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Madhya Pradesh.
Further reading: https://journalsofindia.com/coal-mines-special-provisions-act-2015/
Source: The Economic Times
