HEMGIR (SUNDARGARH):Under pressure to start coal dispatch from December-end, the South Eastern Railway (SER) and the Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd (MCL) are running against time to meet the deadline to operationalise the ambitious rail line project from Jharsuguda to Sardega in Sundargarh district. Yet, the commissioning of the project may be extended by at least a fortnight. It is learnt that the project is being monitored by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
The rail transport infrastructure project envisages to enhance coal dispatch from MCL’s Gopalpur-Manoharpur coal block under Basundhara-Garjanbahal Area in Hemgir block. The MCL is also working on capacity expansion of its Kulda Open Cast Project (KOCP) in Hemgir block from 10 MTPA to 15 MTPA. The public hearing for the expansion has been rescheduled to January 10.
Sources informed that the new 50.3-km rail line project worth `1,044 crore is being implemented by the SER on deposit basis amid MCL’s plan to produce and evacuate 100 million tonnes of coal from its mines over next five years. They said without rail transport infrastructure, coal dispatch at a desired rate to various distant destinations of the country could not be achieved. After it becomes fully operational, the single line would be able to dispatch 34.23 MTPA. Arrangements are being made to dispatch at least one railway rake by December 31 and set up a fully streamlined coal transportation on the new route in next 30 to 45 days, the sources added.
Spokesperson of Chakradharpur Division of SER Bhaskar Kumar said works on first phase of the project were moving at a very fast pace and hoped to meet the deadline of December-end. The SER is also carrying out some mandatory paper works with MCL for the first phase roll-out and in the worst scenario, it may go till Mid-January. The second phase work would continue simultaneously, he added.
A senior MCL officer said with two loading platforms at Sardega, the MCL would initially dispatch 12 MTPA. It would remove the old pollution-intensive and accident-hazard practice of evacuating coal through villages in trucks to Kanika railway siding, about 34 km away, he added.