West Bengal gets its first M sand facility through Coal India Limited

Subject :Environment

In an attempt towards environmental sustainability and reducing over mining of sand, Coal India Limited (CIL) has started a facility in West Bengal to produce manufactured sand, the first such initiative in the State as a part of its Green mining initiative.
Coal India Ltd (CIL) is looking at green mining options to lessen any adverse environmental impact by leveraging a slew of eco-friendly technologies in both underground and open cast mining.

Manufactured sand (M-Sand)

Manufactured sand (M-Sand) is a substitute of river sand for concrete construction .
Manufactured sand is produced from hard granite stone by crushing. It is manufactured using technology like High Carbon steel hit rock and then ROCK ON ROCK process which is synonymous to that of natural process undergoing in river sand information.
The crushed sand is of cubical shape with grounded edges, washed and graded to as a construction material. The size of M-Sand is less than 4.75mm.
Due to fast growing construction industry, the demand for sand has increased tremendously, causing deficiency of suitable river sand in most part of the word.

Benefits of M-Sand:

M-Sand does not have the presence of impurities such as clay, dust and silt coatings, increase water requirement as in the case of river sand which impair bond between cement paste and aggregate. Thus, increased quality and durability of concrete.
It does not contain an organic and soluble compound that affects the setting time and properties of cement, thus the required strength of concrete can be maintained.
M-Sand can be crushed from hard granite rocks, it can be readily available at the nearby place, reducing the cost of transportation from far-off river sand bed.

Green Mining

Green Mining refers to the technology that will reduce carbon emissions in operations and mitigate adverse environmental impacts.
It includes the use of minerals and metals that support a transition to low-carbon technologies such as solar panels or wind power.

How does technology impact mining operations?

Technology can have a number of impacts on mining operations, including safety and productivity, environmental protection and opportunities for women.
Safer working conditions through improved underground communication, automation, more sophisticated mineral and metal transportation, and emergency response measures are achieved by integrating technology into mining projects.

About Coal India Limited (CIL):

Coal India Limited (CIL) the state-owned coal mining corporate came into being in November 1975.
With a modest production of 79 Million Tonnes (MTs) at the year of its inception CIL, today is the single largest coal producer in the world and one of the largest corporate employer.
Indian Institute of Coal Management (IICM) as a state-of-the-art Management Training ‘Centre of Excellence’, the largest Corporate Training Institute in India operates under CIL and conducts multi-disciplinary programmes.
CIL is a Maharatna company is a privileged status conferred by the Government of India to select state-owned enterprises in order to empower them to expand their operations and emerge as global giants.