1.

1- Introduction Availability of natural resources and their proper application to overall development activities is the key factor for the economic growth of any nation. Bangladesh, though it is a small country of about 143,998 sq km, has a number of mineral resources within its territory. The mineral resources so far discovered are mineral fuels (oil, gas, coal, peat), hard rock, limestone, white clay, glass sand and heavy mineral sands. It was previously assumed that the geological setting of Bangladesh was more suitable for hydrocarbon accumulation than for any other mineral deposits as the greater part of Bangladesh is covered by thick alluvium. Nowadays, the assumption has been changed as it is proved by detailed geological and geophysical explorations that Bangladesh is rich not only in hydrocarbon accumulation but that it also has huge deposits of coal and hard rock in its north-northwestern part.

1.2- Mines in Study Area The northern part of Bangladesh has some natural advantage. Natural resources are one of them. Coal, hard rock, white clay, stone etc are found here. These natural resources are directly contributes in our national economy. Among various natural resource, only two natural resources and their management status was observed. Hard rock- Maddhyapara Hard Rock Mining Company Limited (MHMCL), Dinajpur. Coal- Barapukuria Coal Mining Company Limited (BCMCL), Dinajpur.

1.2.1- Maddhyapara Hard Rock Mining Company Limited (MHMCL) This company formed to accelerate the construction works of Maddhyapara mine and operate the Maddhyapara Hard Rock Mine Project of Petrobangla at Dinajpur in August 1998. The underground mine under construction at Maddhyapara targets for production of 1.6 million tons of construction rocks per annum. Until June 2000, 58% of the mine construction works were completed and the project was scheduled to complete construction works within June 2001. Currently the project authority is trying to extend the project completion period.

1.2.2- Barapukuria Coal Mining Company Limited (BCMCL) This company formed in August 1998 to operate the Barapukuria Coal Mine Project of Petrobangla with a target production of one million ton of coal from an under construction mine at Barapukuria, Dinajpur. Until June 2000 approximately 49% of the project works could be completed and the target completion was scheduled in June 2001. But the schedule is revised and it is expected that the mine construction will be completed with necessary facilities of commercial production in August 2004.

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1.3- Map of the Study Area

Map-1: Location of Barapukuria Coal Mining Company Limited and Maddhyapara Hard Rock Mining Company Limited

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1.4-Location of study area Both the mines are situated in Dinajpur district of Rajshahi division. Details location of these two mines are1.4.1- Maddhyapara Granite Mine It situated atVillage: Maddhyapara, Police Station: Parbatipur, District: Dinajpur. According to GPS (Global positioning system) reading it lies between 2533'45" E and 2533'39" N and the hard rock deposition area 2533'53"N and 8903'43" E.

1.4.2- Barapukuria coal mine It situated atVillage: Chowhati, Police Station: Parbatipur, District: Dinajpur. According to GPS (Global positioning system) reading Barapukuria Coal basin lies between the latitudes 253l'45" and 2533'50" N and the longitudes 8857'48" and 8858'53" E. the total basin covers about 5.25 sq. km.

1.5- Objectives of the Study Tour 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. To To To To To To To To observe the geo-environment of mine area. know about the socio-economic condition of the people of the study area. observe the biodiversity of the study area. observe the impact of the hazards caused by mining. know about the potential hazards of the study area. know about the procedure of the mining operation. observe the natural resources of the study area. know the importance of the study area.

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1.6- Scope and Limitations The study had several limitations: 1. During the tour the weather of study area was not good, for raining field work was a little bit slower. 2. As all sites in the underground mine were not allowed for sampling due to risky conditions, the number of study points and the number of samples collected were limited. 3. For some technical problem it was restricted to enter into the mine.

1.7- Methodology Methodology means the analysis of the principles of methods, rules, and postulates employed by a discipline or the development of methods, to be applied within a discipline. Methodology includes the following concepts as they relate to a particular discipline or field of inquiry: 1. A collection of theories, concepts or ideas; 2. Comparative study of different approaches; and 3. Critique of the individual methods

Data are collected from both primary and secondary sources. Data collection for this report can be divided into three categories-

1. Physical observation: Primary data are collected through interview with responsible environmental officer of the mining company and local people. Data also collected through sightseeing of the mine area in the guidance of the mine employee.

2. Presentation and Video: Data also collected from the presentation and video of mining technique presented and showed by the engineers of the mining company.

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3. Published document: The secondary data are collected from various books, journals, articles, periodical reports, research papers and annual reports of Petrobangla and its companies.

2- Geographic Condition of the Study Area This report deals with the Maddhyapara hard rock mine and Barapukuria coal mine. There are individual geographic condition of these two sites are given2.1- Site-1: Maddhyapara Hard rock Mine Geological Setting The Bengal Basin, one of the largest geosynclinal basins of the world, has been created by crustcil extension and rifting during the Jurassic to Early Cretaceous in association with a passive continental margin followed by the Tertiary crustal collision, subduction and the orogeny of the Indo-Burmese Folded Belt in the east and northeast (Salt, 1986). In the Paleocene/Lower Eocene time, the first contact of the northward moving Indian plate with the Eurasian plate took place and the Bengal Basin started to originate. The Bengal Basin is a NE-SW trending pericratonic basin (Desikachar, 1974) having the ancient platform of Peninsular India in the west. To the north, the basin is bordered by the Shillong Massif and highly folded regions like the Himalayas, whereas Arakan-Yoma mega-anticlinorium marking the eastern limit. The Bay of Bengal delineates the southern boundary of the basin. The crustal dynamics during the Precambrian and Tertiary have contributed greatly in the development of the tectonic elements of the Bengal Basin. The main tectonic elements of the Bengal Basin are1) Folded Belt, 2) Bengal Foredeep, 3) Continental Slope or the Hinge Zone, 4) Western Foreland Shelf, 5) Rangpur Saddle, 6) Himalayan Foredeep, and 7) Dauki Fault Zone ( Bakhtine 1966, Guha 1978, Reimann 1993 and Ganguly 1997), The western flank of the basin comprises of two major tectonic elements, i.e. Continental Slope and Foreland Shelf. The Continental Slope or the Hinge Zone is the transitional zone between the stable shelf in the west and the Bengal Foredeep in the south-east. The shelf area is again subdivided into two tectonic elementsa) The Rangpur Saddle and b) The Western Foreland Shelf. The Western Foreland Shelf is built up of the Archean basement complex and dips gently south-eastward. Maddhapara and its surrounding area lie in the tectonic zone of the Rangpur Platform, which occurs as an oval shaped block and considered as subsurface continuation of the Shillong Plateau and Chhotanagpur Plateau. A basement high is located at Maddhapara (Rahman, 1987), which is limited on the east by a northwest-southeast trending fault. The bore hole BH-18 was drilled in the upper part of Maddhapara-Kushdaha basement high (Rahman, 1994) which is situated at the north-eastern extremities of the stable platform.

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Fig, 1.5. Major structural elements of the Bengal Basin and Its adjacent areas (Modified after Bakhtine 1966, Guha 1978, Alain 1990, Reimann 1993 and Gunguiy 1997). Structurally the Rangpur Platform area is fault-controlled. This platform with an extension of about 100 km is considered to be the possible subsurface connection between the Indian platform and the Shillong massif. The faults observed within this tectonic element were formed as intrabasinal graben and half graben features that existed during the Gondwana Period. According to Rahman (1987) the condition of deposition and hence the geological history of Maddhapara and adjoining area appear to be different from its surroundings. The surface and subsurface data indicate wide geological variation in between the shelf area and the Bengal Foredeep area. Stratigraphic succession found in the drill holes in and around Maddhapara reveals that the basins were possibly formed in different faulted traps or grabens in the basement where the Gondwana sediments were deposited. After the Gondwana sedimentation the Maddhapara and adjoining area were uplifted. Absence of Rajmahal Trap and Sibgonj Formation (trap wash) in the area suggests that the area remained above sea level probably till the first phase of the Himalayan upheaval at the end of the Cretaceous. The horst part of the basement remained as landmass till the Paleocene to Eocene time, which was subjected to weathering and erosion. During the Paieocene to Eocene times the area probably formed continental basin where sediments of the Tura Formation were deposited. The Sylhet Limestone Formation and Surma Group are not present which probably signify that the area remained above sea level from the Late Eocene to Miocene times. At a later stage, the area subsided and went under water when rocks of the Dupi Tila Formation were deposited directly over the Tura Formation under continental environment and it continued till the recent time.

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Maddhapara and its adjoining area are covered with the Holocene sediment except for few places where Madhupur Clay exists under a thick veneer of soil. Therefore, the subsurface geological information of the area is based on the geophysical and drill hole data. The rock units found in the drill holes are the Precambrian Basement, Dupitila Formation, Madhupur Clay and Alluvium. The Stratigraphic succession of the Maddhapara and its surrounding area based on drilling data are given in the Table

Table: The stratigraphic succession of Maddhapara and surrounding area based on drilling data of BH-1, 2,3,4 & 5( Nehaluddin et al., 1996). Formation Alluvium Madhupur Clay Lithology Age Thickness (m) 1.5

Light gray to yellowish gray clay and silty Holocene clay

Dupi Tila

Weathered basement Fresh basement

Reddish brown clay, often brick red, Pleistocene 1.5 mottled, sticky and plastic when wet, contain ferruginous nodules i 'npnnformity Reddish brown to yellowish brown Pleistocene to 136.5 sandstone medium to fine-grained Upper interbedded with pebbly sandstone. Pliocene Silica sand and kaolinized zone at the lower part. Weathered granodiorite Precambrian 8 Unconformity Granodiohte, diorite, granities, Precambrian 150+ granodiorite gneiss, microdiorite gneiss. Base not seen

2.2- Site-2: Barapukuria Coal Mine 2.2.1- Regional Setting Three major crustal provinces such as the sub-cropped Dinajpur shield (greater Dinajpur, Rangpur), the stable shelf (Bogra-Rajshahi) and the deep geosynclinal basin constitute Bangladesh. Several graben/half-graben basins have been discovered in the sub-cropped Dinajpur Shield and stable shelf (Uddin and Islam 1992; Islam 2001). This area is located at the junction of the Indian plate, Eurasian plate and Burmese sub-plate (Khan and Chouhan 1996). These result in the formation of major tectonic zones like, platform flank zone in the west, a deeper basin zone in the middle, and the folded belt in the east within the Bangladesh. The hinge zone is conventionally considered as the dividing line between the Platform and the deep basin.

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Figure . The map shows the major geotectonic features in and around northwestern Bangladesh. (BCB = Barapukuria Coal Basin), DP= Dinajpur Platform, L = Lineament, NGIH = Nawabganj-Gaibandha Intncratonic High, RV = Rajmahal Volcanics, IH = Jangipar High, NSP = North Slope of the Platform (part of Sud-Himalayan Foredeep), SSP=Southem Slope of the Platform, HZ= Hinge Zone, (compiled and modified after Khan 1991. Khan and Chouhan 1996. Keena and Kayal2003). Barapukuria coal basin is located in the Dinajpur Shield of Bangladesh and is surrounded by Himalayan Foredeep to the north, by Shillong Shield/Platform to the east and the Indian Peninsular Shield to the west. The so-called Garo-Rajmahal gap lies in between the exposed Indian Shield and the Shillong Shield, which correspond to a shallow buried basement ridge known as the Platform flank zone (Desikachar 1974, Khan 1991). In Bangladesh segment, the Garo-Rajmahal gap is well-known as 'Rangpur Saddle' within which most of the Gondwana coal basins including Barapukuria, Phulbari, Ktalaspir, Dighipara are situated (Uddin and Islam 1992, Bakr et at. 1996, Islam 2001). At the time of deposition, the Barapukuria Coal Mine area was part of the Gondwanaland super-continent quite close to the South Pole until its break-up in Cretaceous times, some 80 to 100 million years ago. With the breakup of the supercontinent, the Indian sub-plate including northwest Bangladesh drifted away from near the South Pole to where it is today, colliding during Tertiary with the Eurasia The collision led to the formation of the Himalayas and the tectonic setting of Bengal Basin (Khan 1991, Khan et al. 1996, WA 1991, Bakr et at 1996). . Page

Hard Rock Mine and Coal Mine Area at Fulbaria, Dinajpur

2.2.2- Structure and Stratigraphy The Barapukuria coal basin is a north-south elongated graben basin bounded by a major N-S oriented Eastern boundary fault. The Gondowana sedimentary sequence within the basin forms a singular asymmetric synclinal fold with axis running in direction of about N10W. The axial plane dips to east. Strata in the western limb are almost Hat, but dip at angle of 6 to 11^ in the north, 13 to 16 in the south, and it becomes steeper (dip angle 23 to 27 near to the west of the fault Fb (Figure 2). Strata of the east limb are cut by the fault Fa and are developed incompletely. Here the beds are steeper with dip angle commonly between 30 6 to 40 and locally up to 50 (WA 1991, Bakr et al. 1996, Islam 2001). The basin is griss-crpssed b^ many faults. Most of the faults are mainly normal faults with very high dip angle (CMC 1994) i.e. greater than 70 (Table 1). The azimuth of the faults is regular, conforms to the fold form, and extends with the small-inclined angle to the strike of strata except for the eastern boundary fault Fa (WA 1991, Bakr et al 1996, Islam 2001). The faults on the western flank dip to the east and appear as the step. The eastern flank is the boundary fault, extends far and deeper, and independently dips to the west (Bakr et al. 1996). A total number of 37 faults have been identified by seismic section study. Faults with throw >10 m are well controlled and are mainly distributed above 250 m levels, while the faults with throw <10 m are below 250 m levels. In the central part of the mine area these faults with high and low magnitudes along with igneous intrusion are identified (Figure 3). In the Maddhyapara hard rock mine which is 8 km north east of Earapufcuria Coal Mine, the Achaean basement lies at shallower depth only about 118m and is covered directly by Late-Tertiary sediments.

Figure . Geological structures of Barapukuria Coal Basin (after WA 1991. Bakr etal. 1996). Hard Rock Mine and Coal Mine Area at Fulbaria, Dinajpur

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2.2.3- Hydrogeological Condition Barapukuria Coal Mine is a 'Mine Under Water', because water-bearing Dupi Tija Formation (more than 200 m) overlies the recoverable coal seam. The upper Dupitila Formation (UDT) is an unconfined aquifer and forms the most prolific reservoir of usable water of this area with very high water pressure. In the basin area, the groundwater flows from NE to SW direction having almost flat (0.0004-0.0006) hydraulic gradient, where horizontal flow is insignificant compared to vertical flow (WA 1991). Horizontal flow per kilometer width of aquifer is 7 liter/second and the average transmissivity. Permeability, specific yield, storage coefficient and velocities are 1200 m 2 /day, 15-20 m/day, 25 to 309, 0.0004 and 0.02 m/day respectively. The UDT Formation is porous, regional and thick mega-aquifer and is the water recharge source for various aquifers in the Gondwana strata. The most serious issue affecting the safe operation of Coal mine is water inrush from the UDT Formation. For most of the time, groundwater from the UDT penetrates into coal-bearing sequences through different faults, joints and fractures. It is difficult to always dewater because it is widely distributed, recharged by the precipitation and has enough storage. The lower Dupitila Formation (LD T) is relatively thin with variable thickness of 0 to 81 m and is characterized by clay dominated water resisting layer. In the north side of the mine (square area of Figure 2) it is thin and becomes very thin to absent in the further north and creates an 'open window'. As a result the recoverable seam VI is directly connected to overlying water reservoir in the north side. This had contributed to the mine water inrush hazard in 1998; at the initial stage efface development through blasting operation.

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3- Description of the Study Area This report deals with two mining areas. These two mines are extracting by two different companies. This are Maddhyapara Granite Mining Company limited Barapukuria Coal mining Company Limited

3.1- Maddhyapara Granite Mining Company limited 3.1.1- History Maddhyapara Granite Mining Company Limited (MGMCL) a company of Petrobangla under the Ministry of Power, Energy & Mineral Resources, and Government of the Peoples Republic of Bangladesh was incorporated on August 04, 1998 with a paid up Capital of Taka 350 Crore under Company Act. Of 1994. This is a new company formed to operate the under construction hard rock mine at Maddhyapara in Dinajpur district. The mine was expected to be fully operational by the end of 2006, with a capacity to produce about 1.65 million tons of hard rock per year. Major elements of the mine have been completed including pit bottom development, cage shaft, power sub-station, rail track, administration complex, etc. The company is also preparing its personnel for the takeover of the mine. Granite mined during development phase are finding good market. During the mine development period, 347274.90 metric ton granite was produced from which 1325428 metric ton have been sold. During 2004-05 it produced 37147 metric ton and up to December 2005 it produced 15218 metric ton granite. The granite produced is expected to be used mostly as construction material and will substitute import. As a diversification, MGMCL is also studying the market potential and techno-economical feasibility of producing tiles from the colorful granite blocks, as a replacement of equivalent imported tiles. 3.1.2- Objectives Maddhyapara Granite Mining Company Ltd. Was established with multifold responsibilities of production of hard rock with daily production capacity of 5,500 M. tons from the underground mine, marketing & selling of the produced hard rock to different Government entities e.g. Roads & Highways, Water Development Board, Port Authority etc. as well as to different private organizations using rock for the purposes of construction for tiles, block production using dust etc.

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3.1.3- Project Performa (PP) Table: Stage of Project Approval Stage 1 PP

st

Approval Date 13.10.1978 08.09.1993 22.03.1998 22.12.2003

Project Cost (Tk. in Lakh) L.C. ------F.C. ------69388.25 ($140.803 Million) Total ------102498.31 ($197.889 Million)

1st Revised PP 2nd Revised PP 3rd Revised PP

33110.06 ($57.086 Million) Project Period: July 1993June 2005

3.1.4- Construction Contract Contract Signed on ( Petrobangla & Nam Nam) Effective Date of Contract Completion date of Contract Completion date of Project Employer Contractor Consultant of the Project 27.03.1994 08.06.1994 15.06.2005 30.06.2005 Bangladesh Oil, Gas and Mineral Corporation (Petrobangla) Nam Nam (South Korea) M/S. Kopex S.A. Poland

3.1.5- Management, Production and Maintenance Services Signing Date of Contract Demand of Hard Rock in Bangladesh Target Production of the Mine Cost of Imported Hard Rock Estimated Production Cost Selling Price of Hard Rock Proposed Sale Price Total Production of Rock upto May 2007 Total Sale of Rock upto May 2007 Nos. of Investigatory Bore-holes 27.03.1994 between Petrobangla & South Korean Company Nam Nam 4.5-6.5 Million Ton/Year. 5500 Ton/Day i.e. 1.65 Million Ton/Year Boulder $18/Ton 11.479/Ton $15/Ton for Boulder & $17/Ton for Crushed Rock $17/Ton for Boulder & $20/Ton for Crushed Rock 461153.29 M.Ton 393191.47 M. Ton 16 Nos.

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3.1.6- Present Status The construction work of the project has been completed. The formalities for Handover/ Takeover are also completed. The inauguration for commercial production may be held on 24th May, 2007. Hard rock has been extracted up to April 2007 a sum of total amount of 459,283.98 metric ton 392030.78 M. Ton of hard rock have already been sold to different organizations. The existing crusher installed at the project site can crush hard rock 5 mm to 20 mm, 20 mm to 40 mm and 60 to 40 mm. A 30 M. Ton and A 50 M Ton capacity of truck Weighers have already been installed at the project site, by which the loaded track are measured for selling purpose of hard rock.

3.1.7- Environment Preservation The project will make a significant contribution to improve environment and ecological balance by replacing clay-burnt bricks in construction works. Present brick manufacturing not only causes damage to agricultural land but also causes deforestation due to indiscriminate use of fire-wood in brick-field and other purposes. The Project will significantly reduce production of bricks for construction purposes and thus held to check deforestation. The company has taken up necessary steps to preserve environment at the project site during its implementation project. The mine water are being examine regularly in order to prevent pollution of surrounding areas. Besides various gases which evolved due to blasting are measured by gas analyzer regularly. With the help of spraying and water using local fan, gases are diluted and eliminated as such miners are saved from any hazards. In line of the Government policy, 2818 nos. of different varieties saplings were planted in the project area in order to keep ecological balance.

3.1.8- Socio Economic Development of the Project Area The following Socio Economic Development had been established because of the project: Up-gradation & completion of existing Phulbari - Maddhapara Road (13 km) by Roads and High ways Department. The work has already been completed. Bhabanipur Maddhapara Railway line (14.5 km) construction by Bangladesh Railway. The Railway line has already been completed. Rangpur Maddhapara Barapukuria Syedpur (about 70 km) 33KV Power Transmission line by Bangladesh Power Development Board (PDB). The transmission line has already been completed. Maddhapara Mithapukur and Maddhapara Badargonj Road upgrading and completion by Roads & High Ways. Roads are being implemented by Roads & High ways. The project will also contribute in creation of linkage industries, infrastructural facilities, direct and indirect job opportunities for overall socio-economic development of the project area. Hard Rock Mine and Coal Mine Area at Fulbaria, Dinajpur

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3.1.9- Human Resources Development At present total Manpower of the company stands at which included officer and 70 staffs. In local and abroad various type of training courses have been organized to develop the human resources of company. 20 nos. of officers have already been trained in different discipline of mining in DPR of Korea. 320 nos. of mine workers have been locally trained by Korean Mine experts. After completion of the project they would be employed in place of Agreement with Supervisory. 23 nos. of officers Have already been trained in Poland under the Supplementary Agreement with Supervisory Consultancy. 57 nos officers had also been trained up locally in different courses from different training institute e.g. Academy for planning and Development, TICI, IEB, BPI, BIM, USAID etc.

3.1.10- Mine Plan of the Hard Rock Mine

Figure: Mine Plan of the Maddhyapara Hard Rock Mine Hard Rock Mine and Coal Mine Area at Fulbaria, Dinajpur

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3.1.11- Mining Procedure Underground hard rock mining refers to various underground mining techniques used to excavate hard minerals such as those containing metals like gold, copper, zinc, nickel and lead or gems such as diamonds. Mining techniques can be divided into two basic excavation types: 1. Surface mining Open-pit mining Quarrying Strip mining Placer mining Mountaintop removal 2. Sub-surface mining

Drift mining Slope mining Shaft mining Hard rock mining Borehole mining Drift and Fill mining Long Hole Stope mining Sublevel Caving Block Caving Shrinkage Stope mining

3.1.11.1- Some Important Mining Methods Cut and Fill mining: Cut and Fill mining is a method of short hole mining used in narrow ore zones. An access ramp is driven off the main level to the bottom of the ore zone to be accessed. Using development mining techniques a drift is driven through the ore to the defined limit of mining. Upon completion the drift (or "cut") is filled back to the access ramp with the defined type of backfill, which may be either consolidated or unconsolidated. Another drift is driven on top of filled cut. This process continues until the top of the stope is reached. Drift and Fill: Drift and Fill is similar to cut and fill, except it is used in ore zones which are wider than the method of drifting will allow to be mined. In this case the first drift is developed in the ore, is backfilled using consolidated fill. The second drift is driven adjacent to the first drift. This carries on until the ore zone is mined out to its full width, at which time the second cut is started atop of the first cut. Room and Pillar mining: Room and pillar mining is commonly done in flat or gently dipping bedded ore bodies. Pillars are left in place in a regular pattern while the rooms are mined out. In many room and pillar mines, the pillars are taken out starting at the farthest point from the stope access, allowing the roof collapes and fill in the stope. This allows a greater recovery as less ore is left behind in pillars. Hard Rock Mine and Coal Mine Area at Fulbaria, Dinajpur

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Block Caving: Block Caving is a form of stope and retreat, used to effect with large sized orebodies which are composed of hard, stable rock. The method works best with cylindrical, vertical orebodies, where the orebody can be dropped down into the stope, which is filled with waste, the whole process removing the ore from base upwards. The roof pillar, the rock which sits above the orebody, is either left in place or removed, depending on whether the deposit outcrops at surface.

3.1.11.2- Development Mining vs. Production Mining There are two principle types of mining, development mining and production mining. Development mining is composed of excavation almost entirely in (non-valuable) waste rock. There are five steps in development mining: remove previously blasted material (muck out round), drill rock face, load explosives, blast explosives, and support excavation. Production mining is further broken down into two methods, long hole and short hole. Short hole mining is similar to development mining, except that it occurs in ore. There are several different methods of long hole mining. Typically long hole mining requires two excavations within the ore at different elevations below surface, (15m-30m apart). Holes are drilled between the two excavations and loaded with explosives. The holes are blasted and the ore is removed from the bottom excavation.

3.1.11.3- Ventilation One of the most important aspects of underground hard rock mining is ventilation. Ventilation is required to clear toxic fumes from blasting and removing exhaust fumes from diesel equipment. In deep hot mines ventilation is also required for cooling the workplace for miners. Ventilation raises are excavated to provide ventilation for the workplaces, and can be modified to be used as escape routes in case of emergency.

3.1.11.4- Ground Support Some means of support is required in order to maintain the stability of the openings that are excavated. This support comes in two forms, local support and area support. Area Ground Support: Area ground support is used to prevent major ground failure. Holes are drilled into the back (ceiling) and walls and a long metal bar (or rock bolt) is installed to hold the ground together. There are several different styles of area ground support. Local Ground Support: Local ground support is used to prevent smaller rocks from falling from the back and walls. Not all excavations require local ground support. Hard Rock Mine and Coal Mine Area at Fulbaria, Dinajpur

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3.1.11.5- Stope and Retreat vs. Stope and Fill Stope and Retreat: Using this method, mining is planned to extract rock from the stopes without filling the voids, this allows the wall rocks to cave in to the extracted stope after all the ore has been removed. The stope is then sealed to prevent access. Stope and Fill: Where large bulk ore bodies are to be mined at great depth, or where leaving pillars of ore is uneconomical, the open stope can be filled with backfill, which can be cement and rock mixture, a cement and sand mixture or a cement and tailings mixture. This method is popular as the refilled stopes provide support for the adjacent stopes, allowing total extraction of economic resources.

3.1.11.6- Ore Removal In mines which use rubber tired equipment for coarse ore removal, the ore is removed from the stope (referred to as "mucked out") using center articulated vehicles (referred to as boggers or LHD [short for Load, Haul, Dump]). These pieces of equipment may operate using diesel or electric engines and resemble a low-profile front end loader. The ore is then dumped into a truck to be hauled to surface (in shallower mines). In deeper mines the ore is dumped down an ore pass (a vertical or near vertical excavation) where it falls to a collection level. On the collection level it may receive primary crushing via jaw crusher. The ore is then moved by Conveyor belts, trucks or occasionally trains to the shaft to be hoisted to surface in buckets or skips and emptied into bins beneath surface headframe for transport to the mill.

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Mine area

Hard Rock

Main Shaft

Ventilation Fan

Mine Operating Room

Rock Crushing Plant

Mining Equipments Hard Rock Mine and Coal Mine Area at Fulbaria, Dinajpur

Transportation

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3.2- Barapukuria Coal mining Company Limited 3.2.1- History Coal was first discovered at Phulbari in north-west Bangladesh during surveying and drilling between 1994 -1997 by the Australian mining company BHP, which entered into licensing and investment agreements with the Government of Bangladesh. These agreements were acquired by Asia Energy Corporation Bangladesh Pty Ltd in 1998 and were in turn taken over by Asia Energy PLC in 2003. BHP established the presence of a coal deposit of between 14 and 45 metres thickness at a depth of 150 metres to 250 metres with inferred resources of 387 million. Subsequent drilling by Asia Energy increased the estimated in situ resource to 426 million tonnes.The coal resource (JORC code indicated and inferred) is 370 million tonnes. In September 2004 studies by Aisa Energy indicated the Phulbari Coal Projects outstanding economic potential for an open cast mine. Based on a 15 million tonnes per year coal operation and a 30-year mine life, showed a Project Net Present Value of US$2.3 billion using a discount rate of 10%. Start-up capital to the second year of production was estimated at approximately US $530 million. The low sulphur coal type at Phulbari, varying between High Volatile A and High Volatile B bituminous, will be suitable for both a mine-mouth power station and for export to Asian seaborne markets. The projected mine offers a large number of benefits for the local, regional and national economies of Bangladesh.

3.2.2- Objectives This company formed to operate the coal mine constructed at Barapukuria in Dinajpur district. This mine has a capacity to produce about 1 million tons of coal per year. The mine started partial production from 14th April 2002.Commercial production under a Management, Production and Maintenances Services (M&P) Contract commenced on 10th September 2005.Under the M&P Contract, coal extraction from two Long wall Faces 1101 and 1106 have successfully been completed. it produced 87142.840 metric ton coal during 2004-2005 and 77520.820 metric ton during July to December 2005.The produced coal is being delivered to the Barapukuria Coal based Thermal Power Station of PDB. Development works of the next Long wall Coal Face 1109 is underway. After completion of the development works, production from the next Long wall is expected to commence in January 2007. Hard Rock Mine and Coal Mine Area at Fulbaria, Dinajpur

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3.2.3- Lease Area of Barapukuria Total Lease Area of Barapukuria is about 1050 ha. This Area can be divided in to two part1. Barapukuria Coal Basin = 668 ha Northern Coal Deposit = 271 ha Southern Coal Deposit = 81.5 ha Underground Mining Area = 300 ha Residential Area = 17.57 ha Industrial Area = 26.94 ha 2. Outside of Basin Area = 382 ha.

Figure: Lease Area of Barapukuri 3.2.4- Barapukuria Coal Mine Development Project Table: Stage of Project Approval Project Cost (Tk. in Lakh) L.C. --F.C. --Total 91603 ($254.453 Million) 88735.55 ($227.52 Million) 143112.66 ($251.08 Million)

Stage PCP

Approval Date 11.03.1992

Suppliers Credits ---

PP

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40047.95 ($102.68 Million) RPP 15.08.2002 70445.68 ($123.59 Million) Project Period: July 1993 June 2005

21.04.1993

20

48687.6 ($124.84 Million) 72666.98 ($127.49 Million)

$ 109.24 Million $109.24 Million

3.2.5- Construction Contract Contract Signed on ( Petrobangla & CMC) Contract Price Suppliers Credits Government of Bangladesh Loan Repayment Period Grace Period Contract Effective Form Physical Work Commenced Completion of Mine 7TH FEBRUARY 1994 US$ 194.91 Million US$ 109.235 Million US$ 85.675 Million 5% 8 Years 6 Years 1ST June94 June96 31ST May, 2005

3.2.6- Management, Production and Maintenance Services Contract signed on 04 June 2005 with China National Machinery Import and Export Corporation (CMC) as leader of Consortium 4.75 million tonnes of coal over a period of 71 months. US$ 55,551,766.86 + Tk.1, 572,729,200.00 Equivalent to US$ 82.30 Million. US$ 11.695 + Tk. 331.10 (Equiv. to US$ 17.326) US $ 35.30. (Based on Production of 5 lakh tonnes in the year 1) US $ 52.626. US$ 60.00 (as per EC/NEC decision)

Production Target The Total Contract Price

Production Services Cost per tonne stands Other Estimated Production Cost per tonne Estimated Production Cost per tonne Coal Sale Price per Tonne to PDB

3.2.7- Workforce Permanent Officers-47 (32 Engrs. & Geo.) Permanent Staff-41 Contractual Basis-4 Outsourcing-159 (Off-30, Staff-129) Daily workers-77 Chinese-267 (Offi.-45) Local- 772 (Atte.-600)

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3.2.8- KPI Status & Security Barapukuria Coal Mine has been declared as a KPI of Class- 1 Ka on 5 November 2006 M/s. Al Arafat Services (Pvt.) Ltd. providing security service for Barapukuria Coal Mine. Total No. of trained security guards under M/s Al Arafat Services (Pvt.) Ltd.-73 Overall security activities are supervised by a Security Inspector and a permanent BCMCL officer. 3.2.9- Discovered Coal Deposit Total: 2900MMT (77.94 TCF)

BARAPUKURIA

Maddhyapara

Joypurhat

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Barapukuria: 390 MMT Khalaspeer: 685 MMT Jamalgonj: 1,053 MMT Fulbari: 572 MMT Dighipara: 200 MMT

3.2.10- Findings Basin Area -6.68 KM2 Depth Range -118 to 509M Total Number of Seam -6 Average Height of 6th Seam -36.0M Reserve in Million Tonnes -390 Mineable Reserve in MT -64 Equivalent Gas (Reserve) -10.44TCF Equivalent Gas (Mineable) -1.72 TCF

3.2.11- Composition, Quality & Use of Coal Composition: Coal Quality:

Ash-12.4% Moisture-10.0% Fixed Carbon-48.4% Volatile Matter-29.2% Sulpher-0.53%

High Quality Bituminus Calorific Value-11,040 BTU/LB

Use of Coal: 250 MW Power Plants: 65% of Coal Brick Fields and Domestic Uses: 35% of Coal

3.2.12- Production Target-2007 Table: Production Target-2007 at a glance Longwall Face No. Production Target (MT) 1109 1110 1103 Total 2,20,000 2,60,000 3,30,000 8,10,000

Serial No. 1 2 3

Duration Mar-Jul 2007 Aug-Nov 2007 Sep-Dec 2007

3.2.13- Target vs. Achievement M&P Contract: 71 months Contract effective: 14 Dec 2005 Production commenced: Sep 2005 Production stopped: 22 Sep 2006 Production recommenced: 7 Mar 2007 Hard Rock Mine and Coal Mine Area at Fulbaria, Dinajpur

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1,000,000 800,000
MT

770,000

930,000

1,200,000

1,020,000

970,000

600,000 400,000

500,000 471,341

Prod. Target (MT) Target Achieved (MT) 200,000 Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6
Figure: Target vs. Achievement 3.2.14- Year Wise Coal Production Cumulative Production = 7, 06,159 Ton

560,000

Figure: Year Wise Coal Production Hard Rock Mine and Coal Mine Area at Fulbaria, Dinajpur

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3.2.15- Mining Techniques The technical and mechanical activities involved in removing coal from the earth and preparing it for market. Coal mining in the industrialized countries is characterized by the integration of a number of complex systems into a production methodology that varies for surface versus underground mining. The basic systems of the production methodology are the following. (1) Extraction systems: the methods and techniques used to break out or win the coal. (2) Materials-handling systems: the transport of coal and waste products away from the active production area, and the transport of the necessary materials, equipment, supplies, and workers to service the extraction system. (3) Ventilation: the development and operation of an air distribution system to provide the quantity, quality, and velocity of air where and when needed, to meet health and safety requirements. (4) Ground control: the control of the behavior of underground and surface openings developed by the extraction of coal. (5) Reclamation: the restoration of the mined area to its approximate original state or to an approved state. In Barapukuria Coal Mine they use room and pillar method to collect coal. Techniques and machinery used in the mine areShaft: There are two shafts in the Barapukuria Coal Mine. These are- Main Shaft and Auxiliary Shaft. Main shaft is 326 m long and auxiliary shaft is 320 m long. These are the way to the underground. Diameter of each shaft is 5 m. here is a lift in the shaft to carry workers to the underground. 30 people can move in to it at a time. Coals are lifted from the underground by these shafts. Drilling and explosion: They use drilling machine and explosive to extract coal from the mine. Drilling machine is very powerful. It has a rod of 1.5 meters length and 10 inches diameter. This rod are placed on the coal face and when is start to drill it breaks the coal face to pieces. Explosive used in the coal mine are not much powerful. They detonator in the mine to extract coal. Underground Roadway: These road ways are made to move along in the mine. These roads are supported by metal and wood blocks.

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Hydraulic Powered Roof Support: They make underground paths and these paths are used to transport coal. Here is rail line for locomotives. To avoid subsidence and roof fall they use hydraulic powered roof support in the time of mining. This is very risky. Coal Transportation: Coals are transported by small rail cars and bulldozers are used to place these coals correctly. These coals are dumped in a large area. Trucks and Lorries carry these coals to other places. Safety Tools: Workers of the mine use headlight to move in the underground. There are 270 bathrooms in the maintenance building for the mine workers. They have to bath with hot water after mine work. 3.2.16- Mine Plan of Barapukuria Coal Mine

Figure: Mine Plan of Barapukuria Coal Mine

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Main Gate of BCMCL

Barapukuria Coal Mine Industrial Area

Hydraulic Powered roof Support

Underground Roadway

Drilling Operation

Explosive Charging

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Coal Dump Area

Coal Transportation Cars

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4-Types of Natural Resources in the Study Area There are many types of natural resources in the study area. Coal and hard rocks are main natural resources in Dinajpur area. Other natural resources are white clay, limestone, metallic mineral, gravel, boulder, construction sand, glass sand and groundwater.

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Map: Natural Mineral Resources in the Study Area

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4.1-Coal Discovery of coal dates back to late fifties, when an exploratory oil well was drilled through coal beds in Bogra. Subsequent explorations resulted in the discovery of the Jamalgonj coal deposit at a depth of about 1,000 metres from the ground level and having an estimated reserve of more than 1,000 million tons of coal. Feasibility studies have indicated that the development of this deposit is not yet feasible under the prevailing international market price. However, with the increase in gas price, these deposits may become competitive. After evaluation of a detailed geological and geophysical survey, Geological Survey of Bangladesh (GSB) identified 13 locations in the region of greater Rangpur and Dinajpur districts as the prospective basins for coal exploration. Exploratory wells were drilled in 5 basins out of which high quality bituminous coal deposits were found in 3 basins. In addition, BHP, a foreign company, also discovered a coal reserve in one basin. In 1984/85, Geological Survey of Bangladesh located another coal deposit at Khalashpir (Pirgonj) of Rangpur district at a shallower depth (150 metres), with an estimated reserve of 450 million tons of coal. This deposit requires to be appraised in respect of its potential. Besides, minable coal deposit was also discovered in Barapukuria area of Parbatipur, Dinajpur at a reasonably shallow depth (240 metres) with an estimated reserve of about 300 million tons. Based on this, a project for construction of an underground mine has been undertaken at an estimated investment of Tk. 8,873.60 million to produce an annual output of 1 million tons commencing from 2000/01. Recently, another coal deposit has been discovered by Geological Survey of Bangladesh in Dighirpara area of Dinajpur district covering an area of about 15 sq. km. As only one well has been drilled, the actual deposit of coal could not yet be determined. The GSB has planned to conduct comprehensive exploration activities by the year 2000 in the following seven basins: a. Badargonj-II (Rangpur) b. Basudevpur (Rangpur) c. Barapukuria-I (Dinajpur) d. Barapukuria-II (Dinajpur) e. Daudpur (Dinajpur) f. Dongapara (Dinajpur) g. Shamnagar (Dinajpur). Table: Coalfields and coal quality

Source: Asian Mining Year Book (Seventh Edition), 2001 Hard Rock Mine and Coal Mine Area at Fulbaria, Dinajpur

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4.2- Hard rock Hard rock was discovered by GSB in Maddhyapara area of Dinajpur District in 1964 at a depth of 285 metres from surface. An agreement was signed with North Korea in 1993 for the opening of an underground hard rock mine with a target production of 1.6 million tons per annum. The hard rock mine is expected to come into operation by the year 2000/01. Maddhyapara hard rock will be used for river training heavy construction work, railway ballast, highway, etc. The granite slabs excavated from this mine can also be used as polished tiles and pavings. Presently these are imported. Considerable import substitution and increased revenue earning may, therefore, be expected from this rock. A large deposit of granodiorite, quartz diorite, and gneiss of Precambrian age has been discovered by GSB at depths ranging from 132 to 160m below surface at Maddhyapara, Dinajpur. The Rock Quality Designation (RQD) of fresh rock varies from 60% to 100%. Development of this underground hard rock mine is going on by Nam Nam Co, a North Korean company. Its production was scheduled to start in 2002 and the annual production has been estimated to be 1.65 million ton.

4.3- White Clay There are subsurface deposits of white clay in Maddhyapara, Barapukuria, Dighipara of Dinajpur district. The exposed white clay is not good in quality. A 6 to 10 feet layer of white clay on top of basement rock exist at depths ranging from 422 to 513 feet in 4 bore holes in the Madhyapara area. The clay contains 69% SiO2, 24% Al2O3, and 11% F2O3. It is used in the ceramic factories of Bangladesh after mixing with high quality imported clay.

4.4- Limestone Limestone In the early 1960s, a quarry of limestone of Eocene age with a small reserve at Takerghat in the north eastern part of the country started supplying raw materials to a cement factory. This was the first mine in the country which was actually a quarry. In the 1960s GSB discovered another limestone deposit in Joypurhat at a depth of about 515-541m below the surface with a total reserve of 100 million ton. GSB continued its effort to find out limestone deposits at shallow depth. In the mid 1990s GSB discovered limestone deposit at a depth of 493-508 and 531-548m below the surface at Jahanpur and Paranagar of Naogaon respectively. Thickness of these deposits is 16.76m and 14.32m respectively.

4.5- Metallic minerals Metallic minerals GSB has carried out investigation for mineral deposits and succeeded in locating a few potential zones. Relatively high content of metallic minerals like chalcopyrite, bornite, chalcocite, covelline, galena, sphalerite etc have been found in the core samples from the north-western region of the country. Hard Rock Mine and Coal Mine Area at Fulbaria, Dinajpur

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4.6- Gravel Gravel deposits Wide areas of northern and northeastern parts of Bangladesh are covered with gravel beds. In the north, the gravels are well exposed at Dahagram-Angorpota, Patgram, Dalia, Chapani, Kaliganj in greater Rangpur and Tetulia, Vazanpur, Boalmari, etc in greater Dinajpur. These gravels are quite large (maximum recorded elongation is 30 cm) and are alternated with very coarse to medium sand. They are quite fresh and well rounded, with a smooth surface. The sphericity and roundness of these gravels are high and they have quartz, quartzite, granite, gneiss and schist as their dominant lithologies. 4.7- Bolder The stone which are quarried from soil is mainly bolder sized. This types of stones quarried from river but lesser than soil. After breaking these stone made two sizes like and inches. 4.8- Construction sand Construction sand is very much available in the riverbeds throughout the country. Sand consists mostly of quartz of medium to coarse grains. It is extensively used as construction material for buildings, bridges, roads etc all over the country. 4.9- Glass Sand Glass sand Important deposits of glass sand of the country are at Balijuri (0.64 million ton), Shahjibazar (1.41 million ton) and Chauddagram (0.285 million ton) at or near the surface, Maddhyapara (17.25 million ton) and Barapukuria (90.0 million ton) below the surface. Glass sands consist of fine to medium, yellow to grey quartz. 4.10- Groundwater Bangladesh Water Development Board, Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation and other concerned agencies of the country carried out hydrological investigations in the northern part of Bangladesh. The sandstone and pebbly beds of Dupi Tila Formation under lying thin layers of alluvium and Madhapara clay mostly from the aquifers in the area. The aquifers are large in extent, variable in thickness and semi confined to unconfined. Groundwater recharge in the area is derived mainly through deep percolation of rain water. The whole of Northern Bangladesh is prospective for development of groundwater except some parts of Bogra and Rajshahi districts where there is a thick cover of Pleistocene fine sediments. A large number of irrigation tube wells sunk up to a depth of 300 feet in the northern part of the area yield 1 to 4 cusec of water and thus brings a large area under effective cultivation. To harness the groundwater to boost up agricultural production in the Northern Bangladesh on a large scale BWDB, BADC and other agencies are implementing a number of projects.

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Coal

Gravel

Boulder

Granite

White Clay

Limestone

Figure: Some Natural Mineral Resources of the Study Area Hard Rock Mine and Coal Mine Area at Fulbaria, Dinajpur

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Glass Sand

Construction Sand

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5- Potential Hazards in the Study Area 5.1- Potential Hazards in Coal Mine Historically, coal mining has been a very dangerous activity. Open cut hazards are principally slope failure, underground mining roof collapse and gas explosions. Most of these risks can be greatly reduced in modern mines. Some common hazards in the coal mine are5.1.1-Hazardous gas Build-ups of a hazardous gas are known as damps, possibly from the German word "Dampf" which means steam or vapor: Black damp: a mixture of carbon dioxide and nitrogen in a mine can cause suffocation After damp: similar to black damp, an after damp consists of carbon dioxide and nitrogen and forms after a mine explosion Fire damp: consists of mostly methane, a flammable gas Stink damp: so named for the rotten egg smell of the sulfur, a stink damp can explode White damp: mainly carbon monoxide, suffocates like black damp (Also, Carbon monoxide is very toxic, even in concentrations as low as 5 ppm)

5.1.2- Coal dust Coal dust is a fine powdered form of coal. Because of the brittle nature of coal, coal dust can be created during mining, transportation, or by mechanically handling coal. Coal dust suspended in air is explosive. Coal dust has far more surface area per unit weight than chunks of coal, and is more susceptible to spontaneous combustion. As a result, a nearly empty coal store is a greater explosion risk than a full one. Coal workers' Pneumoconiosis, or black lung disease, is caused by inhaling coal dust, typically dust produced in coal mining.

5.1.3- Coal fires There are hundreds of coal fires burning around the world. [19] Those burning underground can be difficult to locate and many cannot be extinguished. Fires can cause the ground above to subside, combustion gases are dangerous to life, and breaking out to the surface can initiate surface wildfires. Coal seams can be set on fire by spontaneous combustion or contact with a mine fire or surface fire. A grass fire in a coal area can set dozens of coal seams on fire.

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5.1.4- Coal burning Combustion of coal, like any other fossil fuel, produces carbon dioxide (CO 2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) along with varying amounts of sulfur dioxide (SO2) depending on where it was mined. Sulfur dioxide reacts with oxygen to form sulfur trioxide (SO 3), which then reacts with water to form sulfuric acid. The sulfuric acid is returned to the Earth as acid rain. 5.1.5- Emissions from coal-fired power plants Emissions from coal-fired power plants represent the largest source of carbon dioxide emissions, which have been implicated as the primary cause of global warming. Coal mining and abandoned mines also emit methane, another cause of global warming. Since the carbon content of coal is much higher than oil, burning coal is a more serious threat to the stability of the global climate, as this carbon forms CO 2 when burned. Many other pollutants are present in coal power station emissions, as solid coal is more difficult to clean than oil, which is refined before use. To eliminate CO2 emissions from coal plants, carbon capture and storage has been proposed but has yet to be commercially used. 5.1.6- Coal and coal waste products Coal and coal waste products including fly ash, bottom ash, boiler slag, and flue gas desulfurization contain many heavy metals, including arsenic, lead, mercury, nickel, vanadium, beryllium, cadmium, barium, chromium, copper, molybdenum, zinc, selenium and radium, which are dangerous if released into the environment. Coal also contains low levels of uranium, thorium, and other naturally-occurring radioactive isotopes whose release into the environment may lead to radioactive contamination. While these substances are trace impurities, enough coal is burned that significant amounts of these substances are released, resulting in more radioactive waste than nuclear power plants.

5.1.7- Faulty Design Barapukuria coal mine are vulnerable to accidents due to faulty geological and hydrological designs and lack of proper working condition, said the probe body formed following the incident in which a British consultant died in the mine recently. High temperature and excessive humidity, absence of efficient rescuers and lack of monitoring system led to the April 26 incident that claimed the life of mining consultant Albert Banes Davis, said the probe report submitted to Petrobangla on Tuesday. Davis, 62, died 430 metres underground in the mine. 5.1.8- Depletion of subsoil The alarming depletion of subsoil water table in Barapukuria coal mine area could be easily halved if the mine and its power plant shared the same water pumps, instead of using separate sets and wasting 2,500 tonnes of water per hour. Hard Rock Mine and Coal Mine Area at Fulbaria, Dinajpur

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5.1.9- Waste Water According to tests carried out by geology and mining department of Rajshahi University, and coal mine sources, untreated waste water from Barapukuira coal mine contains poisonous coal dust [carbon], rock dust, sulphur [S], phosphorus [P], arsenic [Ar] and magnesium [Mg]. The mine authorities however claim that there are no poisonous chemicals like sulphur, arsenic, phosphorus and magnesium in the waste water. The coal mine and the 250 megawatt coal-fired power plant are separately pumping out an unbelievable 2,500 tonnes of water per hour round the clock. This water is being fully wasted while 15 villages around the project area have gone completely dry in the last 10 months. Almost all the hand-pumped tube-wells in these villages have gone dry, and ground water table has gone down to 150-200 feet from 50-60 feet previously. Of the 2,500 tonnes of water, the power plant pumps out 1,300 tonnes, uses it for power generation and then wastes it through a discharge channel. The coal mine pumps out another 1,200 tonnes of water just to keep the mine dry.

5.1.10- Cropland Damage On exchange of opinions with farmers of the affected villages, The Daily Star got the impression that 30 to 40 per cent croplands of these villages use polluted water from the projects. About 70 croplands in Kalupara and other areas around Barapukuria mine in Parbatipur upazila of Dinajpur are now vulnerable to subsidence, according to mining sources. Earlier in May, about 1.2 square km area of four affected villages subsided. Operating without any pollution treatment facility, the mine and the plant are pumping out untreated waste and chemicals to the adjacent areas through a sluice gate and a seven-kmlong canal. As a result, water bodies in the areas have become polluted and fertility of topsoil of four villages is being greatly harmed. Most of the affected villagers said ground water level has fallen by 80 to 120 feet in different places. Instead of pumping out water by sinking 50 to 65 feet long pipes, now they must sink up to 200 feet long pipe to get water, they say.

5.2- Potential Hazards in Hard Rock Mine Hard rock mining is much safer than that of coal mining. Hazardous gas problem is very uncommon in the hard rock mine. Waste water from the underground is not much harmful for the crops. Local people said that this water increase the fertility of the land. Land slide and subsidence are also occurring very less than the coal mine. Hard rock mining is a safe mining. And it doesnt have much potential hazards.

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6- Importance of these Mining Areas The total reserves of coal of the three coal fields discovered at Barapukuria, Khalaspir and Jamalgonj, respectively is 1753 million tons. From 20002001, full-fledged extraction of coal from the Barapukuria coal mine will start, and the target of extraction of coal per day is 3,300 metric tons i.e., 1.2 million tons per year. At the above rate, 64 years will be required to extract 300 million tons of coal from Barapukuria. As Barapukuria coal is of a high quality bituminous type, having a heating value of 11,040 BTU/Ib with low sulfur content, it is good for combustion to produce power. In power generation, 80% of the coal will be used for this purpose, and there is a plan to build a power plant with a 300 MW capacity at the village of Sherpur near the Barapukuria coal field. As a result, the electrification problems of northern Bangladesh will be solved, and both industrial and agricultural sectors will benefit from electrification. The remaining 20% of the coal will be used in brick fields and for household purposes. The qualities and various uses of coal are shown in Tables below. At present, most of the people of Bangladesh use wood and other plant materials to generate energy, and this causes deforestation and destruction of wild life, which are great threats to the environment. All these are again responsible for the imbalance of the environmental ecosystem. Not only that, drought, created by deforestation, affects agricultural land, and continuation of this may ruin the national production. Proper utilization of coal from Barapukuria will solve the energy problems and at the same time will help to stop wide-spread deforestation and keep the environmental ecosystems balanced, thus helping to upgrade the economic condition of the country.

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7- Environmental impacts and mitigation

7.1- Environmental impacts Coal mining causes adverse environmental impacts. These include: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Release of methane, a dangerous greenhouse gas Interference with groundwater and water table levels Impact of water use on flows of rivers and consequential impact on other land-uses Dust Subsidence above tunnels, sometimes damaging infrastructure Rendering land unfit for the common usage of the area. Environmental issues can include erosion, Formation of sinkholes, Loss of biodiversity, and Contamination of groundwater and surface water by chemicals from the mining process and products.

7.2- Mitigation

Improvements in mining methods (e.g. longwall mining), hazardous gas monitoring (such as safety-lamps or more modern electronic gas monitors), gas drainage, and ventilation have reduced many of the risks of rock falls, explosions, and unhealthy air quality. Statistical analyses performed by the U.S. Department of Labors Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) show that between 1990 and 2004, the industry cut the rate of injuries (a measure comparing the rate of incidents to overall number of employees or hours worked) by more than half and fatalities by two-thirds following three prior decades of steady improvement. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, coal mining is not even among the top 10 most dangerous occupations in America per capita. Pilots, truck and taxi drivers, loggers, fishermen, roofers and other occupations face greater on the job risks than coal miners. Modern mining companies in some countries are required to follow environmental and rehabilitation codes, ensuring the area mined is returned to close to its original state. In some countries with pristine environments, such as large parts of Australia, this is impossible despite the best intentions. Some mining methods have devastating environmental and public health effects.

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8- Conclusion The discovery of such huge deposits of coal and hard rock is a blessing for Bangladesh, and proper development of these resources will open a new era for the country to enter the industrial world. In the modern world, the sustainable economic conditions of any nation depend on how developed that country's industrial is, especially in the field of mineral resources. So, minerals based industries are an important factor for accelerating the economic growth of a country. Now, Bangladesh has an opportunity to build up mineral-based industries as she has sufficient mineral resources on which industries can develop. Full-capacity exploitation of these resources will create thousands of new jobs at the mine sites and later on at industrial sites, which will help to alleviate the country's poverty by providing jobs. All these together will accelerate the country's economic development. It may be concluded that proper development and utilization of these resources will help us to save a considerable amount of foreign currency and will contribute a great deal to the national economy and reshape our socio-economic infrastructure.

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9- References Books & Journals: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Bangladesh Journal of Geology, Vol.19, p.35-43, Dhaka, 2000. Bangladesh Journal of Geology, Vol.24, p.1-17, Dhaka, 2005. Afia Akhtar, 2000. Coal and hard rock resources in Bangladesh, 25-28pp. The Cost and Management, Vol. 34 No. 2, March-April 2006, pp. 53-67 Khan F.H. 1991. Geology of Bangladesh. 33-40.

Websites: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. http://thedailystar.net/2007/05/05/d705051501113.htm www.mbendi.co.za/orgs/cyjb.htm www.petrobangla.org.bd/companies/bcmcl.html www.bangladeshnews.com.bd/2007/05/11/barapukuria-coal-mine-lacks-safe-workingcondition/ http://banglapedia.search.com.bd/HT/B_0297.htm www.sdnpbd.org/sdi/issues/energy/national-policy/general-policy-issues.htm http://banglapedia.search.com.bd/HT/C_0292.htm www.banglapedia.org/HT/M_0246.HTM http://www.rmg.se/RMDEntities/B1/0BARAP.htm http://www.mgmcl.org.bd/ http://banglapedia.org/ht/H_0057.HTM http://banglapedia.org/ht/G_0136.HTM http://banglapedia.net/HT/W_0056.HTM http://svr87.edns1.com/~starnet/2007/05/26/d7052601044.htm

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