CUDDALORE | Oct 02, 2016: NLC India Ltd is carrying out blasting during mining activities after taking adequate safety and precautionary measures to ensure that the nearby railway lines, roads and private properties, including houses of villagers, are not affected, a company press release said here on Saturday.

The company has been using the latest technology, 'site mixed explosives' (SME), which is a normal power explosive with minimum strength of explosion. "Controlled blasting techniques are used to mitigate the blast-induced vibrations and noise," a release said.

The company has been using the latest electronic detonators, each worth 1,000 in each blast hole. "Each hole is blasted with precise time delay, which mitigates vibration and noise," the release said.

The company's buildings like shift office are also close to the blast sites and extreme care was taken with regard to safety, it said.

"Each blast vibration is measured in nearby villages using seismographs. The houses are located 250m from the blast location. The vibration readings recorded are much below the limits prescribed by the mining statutory authority. The Director General of Mines Safety (DGMS) has prescribed 10mm/sec as the vibration threshold limits," the release said.

Blasting was carried in mines at a depth of up to 50m from ground level whereas the village bore wells were drilled to a depth of 200m, the company said rubbishing statements that bore wells had been affected due to blasting.

"Even the bore wells in the mines are close to the blasting sites. The failure of village bore wells may be due to ageing, corrosion, and fine sand entry from aquifers," it added.

(Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/)