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Chhattisgarh-based Coal India subsidiary South Eastern Coalfields Limited’s Gevra and Kusmunda coal mines have secured the second and fourth spots, respectively, in the list of the world’s 10 largest coal mines released by WorldAtlas.com. 

Located in Korba district of Chhattisgarh, these two mines produce more than 100 million tonnes of coal annually, accounting for about 10 per cent of India’s total coal production, the Ministry of Coal said on Thursday.

The Gevra opencast mine has an annual production capacity of 70 million tonnes and produced 59 million tonnes of coal in FY 23-24. The mine started operations in 1981 and it has enough coal reserves to meet the country’s energy requirements for the next 10 years.

The Kusmunda opencast mine produced more than 50 million tonnes of coal in FY 23-24, only the second mine in India after Gevra to achieve this feat.

These mines have deployed some of the world’s largest and most advanced mining machines such as the 'Surface Miner' that extracts and cuts coal without blasting for eco-friendly mining operations, according to the Coal Ministry statement.

For overburden removal (the process of removing layers of soil, stone, etc. to expose the coal seam), the mines use some of the world’s largest HEMMs (Heavy Earth Moving Machinery) such as 240-tonne dumpers, 42 cubic metre Shovel along with Vertical Rippers for environment-friendly and blast-free OB removal.

South Eastern Coalfields Limited CMD Prem Sagar Mishra said it is indeed a proud moment for Chhattisgarh that two of the world’s five largest coal mines are now in the state.