Open-pit mining at Barapukuria likely

Open-pit mining at Barapukuria likely

The government, after a four-year moratorium, has again initiated a move for open-pit mining at Barapukuria coal deposit’s far northern zone to begin extraction of three million tonnes of coal a year from 2024. In the wake of protests, the plan for open-pit mining at Phulbari and Barapukuria coal mines in Dinajpur was shelved as prime minister Sheikh Hasina on February 6, 2014 asked the energy ministry to wait until new technology were available which would enable large scale coal extraction leaving minimum effects on the environment. Hasina also holds the portfolio of power, energy and mineral resources ministry. State-run Barapukuria Coal Mining Company Limited managing director Habib Uddin Ahmed on Thursday told New Age that they were preparing a project proposal for a feasibility study for the proposed open-pit mining at the far northern zone of Barapukuria coal mine. The company obtained verbal approval from the state minister to advance with the plan, he said, adding that they would send the project proposal to the ministry for approval as soon as possible. The company placed a report in a meeting on April 15 with state minister for power, energy and mineral resources Nasrul Hamid in the chair, claiming that a study carried out by the state-run Institute of Water Modelling in 2014 said that the open-pit mining was possible as the area’s groundwater table was manageable. The report also said that Germany had an open-pit mine at Cologne with similar coal deposit below the aquifer. The report said that the company had also planned to increase the quantity of annual coal extraction to five million tonnes from 2027. National committee to protect oil, gas, mineral resources, power and port member secretary Anu Muhammad said that the government was unilaterally advancing with the plan which had no practical basis. Open-pit mining at Barapukuria or Phulbari was proved not feasible in several independent studies, he said, urging the government to scrap all such plan as it would destroy the underground water aquifer, biodiversity, and agriculture of the region. On August 26, 2006, at least three youths were killed as the then Bangladesh Rifles, now renamed as Border Guard Bangladesh, opened fire on a peaceful protest rally for cancellation of a move for open-pit mining by London-based company Asia Energy at Phulbari. On that day, police, Rapid Action Battalion and BDR indiscriminately beat people, injuring over 200 children, men and women who joined the rally organised by the oil-gas body. The Barapukuria coal mine company has been extracting coal from the deposit since 2005-06 using Longwall or Room and Piller methods – underground mining. The underground mining is being carried out in the middle and southern parts of the deposit. The underground mining method enables the company to extract coal at a rate of one million tonnes per year at the cost of surface subsidence in a vast arable area as well as habitats. The company’s report also showed that open-pit method would enable the company to extract 110 million tonnes of coal in 30 years from an estimated geological reserve of 135 million tonnes in the northern zone of the deposit spreading 694 acres of land. The coal seams in the northern part of the reserve are at the depths of 118-372 metres. Open-pit mining in the area would require the authorities concerned to manage a 107 metre aquifer, as the coal seams are beneath it, which flows at the rate of 45,000 cubic metres per hour in the ‘minable’ area, according to the report. The company also estimates that it would need to dewater the entire mining line, approximately 30 years, at the rate of 26,500 cubic metres per hour for open-pit mining. It would however need to dewater at the rate of 45,000 cubic metres per hour for the first two years when the mine would be developed. About 2,470 acres of land would be required for developing the open-pit mine directly affecting 7,500 people. The company estimates that the mine development and operational cost would require an investment of Tk 55,000 crore over 30 years for a revenue earning of Tk 110,000 crore. More about:
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