South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL) has signed a Rs 70.40 billion agreement with TMC Mineral Resources Private Limited to implement paste fill technology at the Singhali underground coal mine in Korba, Chhattisgarh.
This will make SECL the first coal public sector utility in India to adopt the environmentally sustainable mining method. The 25-year project aims to produce 8.4 million tonnes of coal and marks a major step toward green mining. Paste fill technology involves filling mined-out voids with a paste made from fly ash, crushed overburden, cement, water, and chemicals—eliminating the need to acquire surface land and preventing land subsidence. The adoption of paste fill now enables safe extraction without disturbing surface infrastructure.