Visuals of workers at construction sites and factories signify India's growth story, but the absence of adequate safety measures is hard to miss. In five years till 2021, about 6,500 people died working in construction and mining among other sectors. For 2022, state-owned Coal India has reported 20 deaths, as a record low at its mines, compared to 29 in the previous years.
Fatalities in the overall numbers?
Statistically, the fatalities were a mere 0.028 per million tonnes of coal extracted, which went down by 40 per cent between 2021 and 2022. To reduce fatal accidents at mines, Coal India is analysing factors at the root of such mishaps, and is training 100 executives in Dhanbad to tackle hazards. The firm's subsidiary also secured the third spot in the International Mine Rescue Competition for 2022 for their skills.
Mining operations gathering steam
As India coal demand has gone up triggered by higher energy consumption, Coal India's output also went up by more than 11 per cent in January 2023 alone. This has also driven its net profit for the October to December quarter of FY23 by 70 per cent.
Late last year, Coal Minister Pralhad Joshi instructed mining firms to allocate more funds for ensuring safety. He made the statement while launching a portal for real-time reporting of accidents on sites.
