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IIT professor calls for forming a roadmap on safety in mines and sustainable development

 

Ranchi | Nov, 2017: There is an urgent need for evaluation and wider dissemination of information on the capita positive impacts of mining, according to Prof Khanindra Pathak, Head of the Department, Mining, IIT Kharagpur. Speaking at the Technical Session on Safety and Sustainability in Mining held on the second day of three-day Jharkhand Mining Show 2017 – Mining and Minerals Summit – organized by the Government of Jharkhand and CII in Ranchi on Tuesday.

 

Prof Pathak called for support from all the key players engaged in the mining industry towards forming a roadmap on safety in mines and sustainable development.

 

“Sustainable development involves integrating economic, environmental and social responsibility. The aim is to enable society to view mining as a desirable activity, and earn the public’s consent,” Pathak said, adding that sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the opportunity and scope of future generations to meet their own needs.

 

Ujjwal Tah, Deputy Director General, Directorate General Mines Safety, shared a set of strategies for improvement which include reinforcement of the application of labour law and ensure recognition of the employment relationship through legal contractual arrangements; development of integrated approaches which include multi-pronged strategies not just labour law reform, such as awareness raising, demand driven skills training and social dialogue.

 

The strategies also include strengthening of labour administration and labour inspection through training and resources for effective implementation of mining laws and initiation of innovative labour inspection approaches combining advisory and information services, public and private interventions, incentives and enforcement procedures to improve compliance. Mr Bijesh Jha, President – Mines, Hindalco, shared the ‘framework of sustainable development, saying “Mining should be financially viable, socially responsible, environmentally, technically and scientifically sound with a long-term view of development.

 

It should also be based on creating long-term, genuine, mutually beneficial partnerships between government, communities and miners, based on integrity, co-operation and transparency.” P C Naik, Executive Director (Resource Planning & Environment) – Raw Materials Division, SAIL, too pitched for creating a long-term, genuine, mutually beneficial relationship among government, communities and miners, based on integrity, cooperation and transparency. Vilas Gaikwad, Co-Chairman, CII Eastern Region Safety Task Force & Chief Safety (India & SEA), Tata Steel Ltd, explained how sustainability is embedded in the very culture of Tata Steel.

 

“This stems from our visionary founder JN Tata’s belief that the community is not just another stakeholder in business, but the very purpose of our organisation’s existence,” he said. Gaikwad also mentioned that a ‘Star Rating’ system has been instituted by the Ministry of Mines through Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM), in which star rating is awarded to the mining leases for efforts and initiatives taken for implementation of the sustainable development framework (SDF). Dr C N Ghosh, Chief Scientist & Head of the Research Group – Geo-Mechanics and Back Filling, CSIR-Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research, dwelt upon the hazards originating from mining which impact on public health, and explained fatalities, injuries and occupational diseases relating to mining.

 

Dr Sujoy Majumder, Officer on Special Duty (Mining & QM), Coal Controller Office, also shared his perspectives through presentations. Caption L-R: Speakers at a Session on Session on Safety and Sustainability in Mining held on the second day of three-day Jharkhand Mining Show 2017 – Mining and Minerals Summit – organized by the Government of Jharkhand and CII.

 

 

(Source: https://www.avenuemail.in/)