Himalayan Times (1962)

August 5, 1962

Himalayan Times

Seven

About 2J tons of raw
lignite would be equiva-
lent in thermal value to
One ton of ooaL

The lignite reserves
at Neyveli appear to have
been formed of vegetal
matter over water logged
areas, resulting in artesian
aquifers or water bearing
strata below the lignite.
These water bearing strato
consist of uncompaoted
•and, the water occupying
the interstices between the
sand partioles and exert-
ing an upward thrutt on
the lignite and the heaps
of oarth above it. There
are several aueh water
bearing strata below the
lignite reserves at Neyveli.

The suooessful mining
of lignite depends on the
oontro) of the water pres-
sure exerted by the arte-
sion aquifers below the
lignite seam.

The venture, besides
being risky, was ooetly.
Probably for thie reason,
the private aeotor did not
come forward to exploit
the Neyveli lignite reser-
ves, the existence of which
was known for the past
several decades. A British
firm did show some in-
tsrest but abandoned the
idea without undertaking
any prospeoting.

During 1943-40, the
Geological Survey of India
drilled a numder of bore
holes which revealed the
oeourrenoe of lignite over

an area of 23 square miles
in and around Neyveli.
Further investigations car-
ried out by the Madras
Government in 1948 show-
ed the existence of lignite
deposite, estimated at
2,000 million tons over
an area of 100 square
miles—the largest lignite
reserves so far discovered
in the country.

It was in 1953-54
that an arrangement was
made under the Colombo
Plan for an investigation
and project report by a
British firm, Messrs. Po-
well Duffryn Technical
Services.

They suggested a large
soale pumping test to be
oarried out before mining
eould be taken up in the
most favourable area of
Si square miles estimated
to contain about 200
million tons of lignite.

The responsibility for
the projeot was taken up
by the Union Government
in 1955 Orders for ma-
chinery and equipment
for the Mining Scheme
were plaoed in the latter
half of 1956 and the
Mining Scheme was inau-
gurated by the Prime
Minister on May 20,1957.

In the meantime, the
Neyveli Lignite Corpora-
tion, a Government-owned
oonoern, was set up to
execute and manage the
projeot.

The quality of the

Neyveli lignite is better
than that of German
lignite. Aa raw lignite ia
bulky and liable to spon-
taneous combustion, it has
to be briquetted and car-
bonised after reducing the
moisture oentent. The
lignite carbonised at low
temperature has a ther-
mal value of 12,500 B.Th.U
per lb. and . burns, com- j
pavatively more steadily
and economically than
oharooal.

The cost of raw lig-
nite for utilisation at site,
equivalent to one ton of
coal . in' thermal ' value,
would be about Re. 34!
per ton, compared to the
price of R». 60 per ton
of coal delivered at site
by the all-rail route and
Rs. 06 per ton by sea
up to Madras and then .
by rail, r -,-

(Continued from page 5)

spreading the gospel of
cooperation. The trainees,
he said should go baok
with a now to rehabilitate
the movement which is
being criticized by some
to have failed in making
steady progress in our
own state.

The trainees pleased
the audience with a sketch
on Coopertive Organisa-
tion followed by a variety
performance whioh includ-
ed loo21 songs and danoes.