Transportation of burning coal from various mines of the Mahanadi Coalfields ltd (MCl) is a common sight these days.
The MCl, transport agencies, truck owners and district administration are acting as silent spectators on the issue. The matter is also discussed everywhere as the trucks with such burning coal are plying in the thickly populated roads.
As three underground and five open cast mines are operating in Orient, Ib Valley and lakhanpur area of MCl, fire is seen in different coal mines of MCl due to around 4 lakh tonne stock of coal.
To some extent mines managements have succeeded in controlling fire in some of the mines. But, they have miserably failed in most of the opencast mines. In spite of fire in coal stock of MCl, coal mines managements are transporting coal through pay loaders and trucks in dangerous situation without observing any precautions.
On the other hand, inaction on the part of the district administration in spite of news published a number of times has irked the general public.
When Project Officer of Samleshwary Open Cast PP Gupta was asked about this, he said every time they learn about a private company's pay loader carrying burning coal in truck, immediate action against the transportation company is taken.Jharsuguda Regional SPCB Officer Niranjan Mallick said that the incident has come to his knowledge and stringent action would be taken against the MCl management.
