Coking coal has been included in Part D of First Schedule of MMDR (Mineral under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation)) Act which lists Critical and Strategic Minerals.
- This decision recognises the strategic role of coking coal in ensuring mineral security and meeting the requirements of the domestic steel sector.
- Currently, around 95% of the coking coal requirement of steel sector is met through imports, leading to significant foreign exchange outgo.
- This decision is expected to facilitate faster approvals, improve ease of doing business, and accelerate exploration and mining activities, including of deep-seated deposits.
About Coking Coal
- Coking Coal is a vital raw material in steel production through blast furnace route and is also used in cement, chemicals, petrochemicals industries.
- Reserves: Estimated 37.37 billion tonnes of reserves, mainly in Jharkhand, and in Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal and Chhattisgarh.
- Challenges: Insufficient domestic production, high ash content and surface levels, legacy mine issues like underground fires and land subsidence, limited geological data, land acquisition challenges etc.
- Initiatives: Mission Coking Coal, 100% FDI in commercial coal mining, revenue-sharing auctions, 39 First Mile Connectivity Projects etc.
About MMDR Act 1957
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