WBPDCL floats tender for second phase of basalt mining at Deocha

Kolkata: The West Bengal Power Development Corporation Limited (WBPDCL) has floated a tender for the selection of a Mine Development Operator (MDO) for the second phase of the basalt mine in Birbhum’s Deocha Pachami Dewangunj Harinsingha (DPDH) block in a “revenue sharing model”.

Presently, the first phase of the basalt mine, spread across an area of 12 acres, is in operation by WBPDCL. The successful bidder for the second phase will initially prepare the Mine Plan and operate accordingly in an area of 314.78 acres and will have to dovetail the area of 12 acres after the 1st phase of the contract is closed.

According to WBPDCL sources, the mining in the first phase started in February, and till now, around 20,000 tons of basalt have been extracted.

According to the tender document, the base percentage of WBPDCL’s revenue share is 45 per cent, while that of the agency for the first phase is 71.5 per cent.

The agency will have to prepare Geological Report (GR) of the mine area under scope for basalt of 326.78 acres and also a mining plan. On the basis of the approved mine plan of the mine area under scope for basalt block of 314.78 acres, all other relevant statutory clearances are to be obtained from the competent authorities. Similarly, after obtaining the approval of the revised mining plan of 326.78 acres (by dovetailing 12 acres of the area of the first phase of basalt mining all other relevant statutory clearances are to be obtained from the competent authorities.

The first major step in making the coal mine functional at Deocha Pachami is mining the basalt, as the coal reserves lie beneath a thick basalt layer. Catalyst for Bengal’s growth, Deocha Pachami at Muhammadbazar, Birbhum, has a reserve of 1,240 million tonnes of coal and 2,600 million tonnes of basalt.

DPDH block was allocated by the Ministry of Coal (MoC), Government of India (GoI) to WBPDCL originally on December 17, 2019, and a later revised allotment order was issued on June 22, 2022 .