India is turning abandoned coal mines into solar parks and eco-parks to boost local economies. On November 3, the government launched a digital tool called SUVIKALP to help identify new uses for these sites. Officials said, "Mine closure should not be perceived as the end of mining activity."
India is looking to turn its closed and abandoned coal mines into productive assets, with reclaimed land being considered for renewable energy, eco-parks, water conservation, agriculture and community infrastructure. The effort, according to coal ministry officials, is aimed at finding new economic uses for mining areas after extraction ends. "So far, the government has identified 147 coal mines for closure, of which at least 26 will be taken up for repurposing. More are in the pipeline," said one of the officials. Mine closure involves sealing underground openings, demolishing redundant infrastructure, treating subsidence areas and reclaiming land.
Plans require safety and rehabilitation work to begin before extraction ends. "The economic question is what happens to communities when a mine that supported jobs and local businesses shuts. Union minister G Kishan Reddy has conveyed that mine closure should not be perceived as the end of mining activity, but rather as the beginning of renewed socio-economic opportunities for communities in mining regions," said a second ministry official. A tool to chart the future of closed mines Against this backdrop, the Coal Controller Organisation (CCO), under the Ministry of Coal, on November 3 launched SUVIKALP, a digital decision-support tool developed to identify suitable uses for closed and abandoned coal and lignite mines.
The tool is aligned with the Mining Plan Guidelines for Coal and Lignite Mines, 2025. The guidelines require mining plans to incorporate mine closure measures from the outset, including land reclamation, environmental restoration, safety measures and steps to minimise the social and economic impact of mining on local communities. "SUVIKALP assesses a mine's geological characteristics, environmental conditions, infrastructure, financial considerations and socio-economic factors before ranking possible uses. It also brings community priorities such as employment, livelihoods and local infrastructure into the assessment," the Ministry of Coal said in a statement.
Its implementation component provides project concepts, case studies, tender documents and information on potential executing agencies. The ministry said the next phase would focus on wider adoption and turning recommendations into feasibility studies and detailed project reports. SECL's mine repurposing efforts Of all the Coal Ministry PSUs and subsidiaries, South Eastern Coalfields Ltd (SECL), under Coal India Ltd, has scientifically closed 28 of the 54 abandoned mines identified by it. SECL has commissioned 20 MW of solar capacity at Bhatgaon and Bishrampur, with another 45 MW under implementation and 55 MW planned.
It has also developed the Kenapara Eco Park on reclaimed mine land. Moving beyond solar and parks, the company is developing pisciculture projects expected to produce 25 tonnes of fish annually and support 206 livelihoods, with a potential annual income of ₹3 lakh per participating family.