Parliament Question: Illegal Coal Mining in Jharkhand

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COAL LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 551 ANSWERED ON 22/07/2026 ILLEGAL COAL MINING IN JHARKHAND †551. Shri Nalin Soren:

Will the Minster of COAL be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government is aware about the fact that large scale illegal coal mining and smuggling activities are being carried out by any company at Sindri-Tasra in Dhanbad district of Jharkhand;

(b) if so, the details of action taken against illegal mining, cases registered, arrests made and quantum of coal seized in Dhanbad during the last three years, year-wise;

(c) whether the Government has prepared any joint action plan with the State Government, Coal India Limited, Bharat Cooking Coal Limited and concerned agencies to stop illegal mining effectively;

(d) if so, the details thereof; and

(e) the steps taken and proposed to be taken by the Government to stop illegal mining, environmental damage and loss of life and property in Dhanbad? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE FOR COAL AND MINES (SHRI SATISH CHANDRA DUBEY)

(a): No incident of illegal mining or smuggling of coal has been reported from the Tasra Open Cast Project (OCP) in Sindri Tasra in Dhanbad district of Jharkhand of Steel Authority of India Limited

(SAIL), a Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSE).

(b): The details of action taken through Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) against illegal mining, cases registered, arrests made and quantum of coal seized in Dhanbad during the last three years, year-wise, are as under:Closing of Total Arrest Coal Seized Year illegal Cases Registered Raid made (Tonnes) Mining 2024 499 337 50 Station Diary Entries 13 9,505.06 2025 675 477 18 Daily Diary Entry & 01 FIR 13 12,562.10 2026 12 Station Diary Entries; 07 complaints (till 325 294 filed before Court under the MMDR Act 06 4,673.15 date) against 09 persons

(c) and (d): To strengthen inter-ministerial and inter-agency coordination on coal sector security, including the prevention of illegal mining and coal theft, a Coal Sector Coordination Committee has been constituted under the Chairmanship of the Additional Secretary, Ministry of Coal. The Committee comprises representatives from the Ministry of Coal, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Mines, Coal India Limited (CIL) and its subsidiaries, CISF, the concerned State Governments, and other security forces deployed in the coal mining areas.

Further, a dedicated Task Force has been constituted at both the District and Area levels for continuous monitoring and prevention of illegal mining and coal theft. At the District level, the Task Force functions under the Chairmanship of the Deputy Commissioner (DC). Necessary preventive and enforcement actions are undertaken jointly by BCCL, the District Administration, Police, and other concerned agencies in accordance with the decisions taken during the Task Force meetings.

(e): In addition to the foregoing, the following steps have been taken by the Government to stop illegal mining, environmental damage and loss of life and property in Dhanbad:

(i) Government launched a citizen-based reporting systems for illegal mining and coal theft as a mobile app namely "Khanan Prahari" and one web app Coal Mine Surveillance and Management System (CMSMS) in 2018 for reporting unauthorized coal mining activities.

(ii) To facilitate swift and effective enforcement against illegal mining and theft of coal, the Ministry of Coal has issued notifications on 21.11.2025 & 01.07.2026 under Section 21(4) (to seize tools, equipment, vehicles, or any other things used to commit or facilitate the illegal activity), under Section 22 (Cognizance of offences), Section 24 (Power of entry and inspection) and under 23B (Power of search) of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act,

1957. Through these notifications, designated executives of Coal India Limited (CIL) and itssubsidiaries, as well as officers of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) have been empowered.

(iii) A multi-layered mechanism involving physical security, technological surveillance, intelligence gathering and enforcement actions, has been deployed to curb illegal activities. Regular targeted raids on the basis of credible intelligence are being organized with seizure of illegal coal, vehicle and equipment. The Management of subsidiary companies lodges FIR with local Police Station to take necessary action against reported illegal mining. State/District administration take further action against the lodged FIR.

(iv) To ensure a more coordinated and effective security framework, a comprehensive Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) has been formulated.

(v) Core and Non-Core areas have been identified to facilitate the rationalization of CISF manpower for a more focused, risk-based, and efficient security deployment.

(vi) Joint Security Check Posts have been established at strategic locations in coordination with the mine management and local police.

(vii) Surveillance is done through the Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) for critical infrastructure, coal transportation routes, and suspicious activities. Drone surveillance is carried out by the CISF Drone Team to identify illegal mining sites and unauthorized mine openings.

Based on the surveillance findings, prompt action such as dozing/closing of illegal openings, recovery of illegally extracted coal wherever applicable, and other preventive measures are undertaken.

(viii) Use of Vehicle Tracking System has been intensified to crackdown illegal transportation of coal. Surprise vehicle checking in mining and nearby areas have been intensified with the aim of curbing illegal movement of coal.

(ix) Senior CISF officers conduct surprise checks and intensified regular field visits to ensure "Zero Coal Leakage" Policy of Government. Deployment of CISF personnel has been enhanced at Coal dump, Railway siding, Raid Teams.

(x) Concrete walls have been erected on the mouth of the abandoned mines to prevent illegal activities in these areas. Security at coal dumps has been strengthened by fencing, proper illumination and round-the-clock guarding.

(xi) To prevent Environmental damages, Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Report is prepared for all Clusters of coal mines/Projects, wherein the Environmental Impact for Air, Water, Land, Socio Economic Impact etc. are determined. The Environment Management Plan (EMP) is prepared and approved by Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change for mitigating any impacts of mining activity on nearby villages/settlements. Routine Environmental monitoring is conducted for environmental parameters (Air, Water, and Noise).(xii) Root Cause Analysis (RCA) of accidents is carried out to prevent recurrence. Advanced safety infrastructure, including Employee Transportation Management System (ETMS), mechanization, and real-time monitoring systems, has been deployed. Regular mock drills, scientific studies, and focused safety drives are also conducted to strengthen emergency preparedness and improve overall mine safety.

******