DGMS(Tech)(SOMA)Circular No.2 of 2001                    Dhanbad, Dated the 13.02.2001.

To

Owners of All

Coal and Metal Mines.

Sub:     Recommendations of Gaslitand Court of Enquiry.

            The Court of Enquiry appointed under Section 24 of the Mines Act, 1952 to enquire into the causes and circumstances attending to the accident that occurred in Gaslitand Colliery of M/s. Bharat Coking Coal Limited on 27.9.1995 causing loss of 65 lives made the following recommendations in addition to those circulated vide DGMS(Tech)(SOMA) Circular No.1 of 2001 dated 18.1.2001.

(1)               Sancity of mine boundary : A mine boundary should be such as to contain hazards caused due to mishap in a neighbouring mine with the help of suitable vertical barriers along the boundary in all seams being worked. In cases where such barriers do not exist, neighbouring mines will have to be isolated and protected with construction of suitable protective measures along the boundary in all seam workings keeping in view of the nature of the hazard. There should be no horizontal transfer of property between two mines.

(2)               Embankment : Construction of embankment is an engineering activity meant to provide protective measures against hazard of inundation from surface water. The current practice of embankment construction is limited to the geometric dimensions only. There are no guidelines regarding the foundation design, the material of construction, nature of slope facing and the procedure of construction. There is an urgent need for modification and framing guidelines concerning the above parameters for embankment construction.

(3)               River channel : In the Jharia Coalfield with a high concentration of coal seams being worked in the neighbourhood and under the river channels, the later are found perched at higher levels compared to the post-mining depressed surface topography of the immediate neighbourhood. In case of breach of embankments constructed to provide preventive measures against inundation, the river course finds its way to the adjacent depressed land thereby providing a large source of water supply adding to the magnitude of the problem. Such topographic changes in the surface profile need to be prevented and/or remedied by suitable corrective action.

(4)               Highest known flood level (H.F.L.) : The height of a protective embankment is related to the HFL. The HFL on the other hand is related to the amount of water flow in the river channel during a particular year. This however presupposes the cross section of the river channel remaining undisturbed. In reality this gets disturbed due to mining activity as well as considerable amount of silting. Thus it would be necessary to adjust the HFL according to the changed river channel cross-section.

(5)               Abandoned pits: All pits proposed to be abandoned pits are to be properly secured at the collar level against hazards of inundation by surface water.

You are requested to take suitable steps to implement the recommendation of the Court of Enquiry in the mines under your control.

                                                                                                 ( R. L. Arora )

                                                                                    Director-General of Mines Safety