AAROH Report on Scientific Mine Closure Released

The Ministry of Coal released AAROH: Annual Report on Mine Closure in New Delhi on 23 July 2026. The report is India’s first comprehensive documentation on scientific mine closure and repurposing practices and covers 42 scientifically closed coal mines across the country.

Scientific Mine Closure in India

Scientific mine closure is the planned closure of a mine with measures for land stabilisation, environmental restoration, and post-mining land use. In India, coal mine closure involves safety works, backfilling, slope stabilisation, water management, plantation, and long-term monitoring.

Mine Closure Framework and Institutions

The Coal Controller Organisation developed the report and has supported the mine closure ecosystem under the Ministry of Coal. The framework includes RECLAIM, the SUVIKALP digital platform, the ARTHA Framework, and the Mine Closure Guidelines 2025.

Funding and Community Development

Union Coal and Mines Minister G Kishan Reddy announced a dedicated corpus of ₹40,000 crore for scientific mine closures. Of the approved mine closure cost, 25 per cent, or about ₹10,000 crore over the next decade, has been earmarked for community development.

Mine Repurposing and Land Use

Reclaimed mine lands are being used for renewable energy projects, eco-tourism, water conservation, agriculture, and Coal Neer plants. Coal Neer plants convert mine water into bottled drinking water.

International Cooperation

An implementation agreement was signed between the Ministry of Coal and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit on 23 July 2026. The agreement covers technical cooperation and the use of global best practices in mine closure.

Important Facts for Exams

• India has scientifically closed 42 coal mines, including 33 mines in the last year.
• The target is to scientifically close 147 more mines within the next two to three years.
• RECLAIM, SUVIKALP, and ARTHA are key terms linked with India’s mine closure framework.
• Coal Neer plants use mine water for bottled drinking water production.

Mine Closure as a Policy Area

Mine closure is linked with environmental management, land reclamation, and post-mining livelihoods in coal-bearing regions. Scientific closure is also relevant to sustainable mining, pollution control, and land repurposing in India.