Kolkata, Oct 27 (PTI) Eastern Coalfields Ltd (ECL) has set up a geotechnical laboratory at its headquarters in Sanctoria, West Bengal, to strengthen in-house testing capabilities, improve mine safety and reduce dependence on external agencies, an official said on Tuesday.
The facility, inaugurated by ECL chairman-cum-managing director Satish Jha, is the first of its kind among Coal India Ltd’s producing subsidiaries and is expected to reduce testing time and costs while easing the workload of the company’s mine planning and consultancy arm, CMPDI.
Equipped with specialised instruments for rock mechanics and soil testing, the laboratory will support slope stability assessments in opencast mines, roof and floor stability studies, and strata-control assessments in underground mines, an official statement said.
The facility will also undertake rock mass rating evaluations to help assess geological conditions relevant to mine safety and operational planning.
ECL plans to extend the laboratory’s services to other Coal India subsidiaries and potentially to mining and construction companies, opening up opportunities for revenue generation through the use of its technical infrastructure.
The Coal India mining subsidiary of east will also pursue accreditation from the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) for relevant testing parameters, subject to applicable requirements, to strengthen the credibility of its services.
The laboratory is expected to support technical training and skill development, while building indigenous expertise in geotechnical investigations and scientific mine management, the miner said. PTI BSM RG
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