Telangana: Coal production hit as water fissure develops in SCCL’s underground mine at Manugur

Following the occurrence of the fissure the workers were moved to safety immediately along with the machinery. An emergency team has been formed and launched efforts to pump out the water from the mine

Kothagudem: A hot water fissure occurred in Singareni Collieries Company Limited’s (SCCL) Kondapuram underground mine at Manugur area in the district has hampered coal production.

The company deputy general manager (personnel), S Ramesh informed the media that the natural water fissure occurred at 42 level M deep on December 7 at 2.15 am. The volume of the fissure was determined to be 2067 gallons per minute (GPM).

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Following the occurrence of the fissure the workers were moved to safety immediately along with the machinery. An emergency team has been formed and launched efforts to pump out the water from the mine.

Seven pumps with a collective capacity of 2500 GPM have been deployed to pump out the water. As on December 11 the volume of water reached one lakh gallons. At present 1800 GPM water was being pumped out to the surface.

Hydrogeologists have been engaged to measure the water flow from the fissure. Due to the water fissure around 500 tonnes of coal production per day was halted, Ramesh said. According to officials it might take one month to completely pump out water and make the mine operational.

It was being rumoured that the water fissure in the mine could have been caused by the 5.3 magnitude earthquake occurred on December 4 with Mulugu as its epicentre, though the SCCL officials have ruled out such rumours.