SEMINAR ON
“DIGITAL INITIATIVES FOR MINING SECTOR”
(19TH OF JULY, 2019)
VENUE: “SANSKRUTIK BHAWAN” OF M/s WESTERN COALFIELDS LIMITED, COAL ESTATE, CIVIL LINES, NAGPUR–440001
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A One Day Seminar on the theme of “DIGITAL
INITIATIVES FOR MINING SECTOR”, has been
organized by the Western Zone of DGMS in association
with allied departments under the Ministry of Labour and
Employment, Government of India on the 19th July at
Nagpur, to focus on the potential of digital penetration to
ensuring overall systemic improvements in the mines
leading to higher levels of safety, productivity and other
vital operating parameters. It has also been planned to
launch a new digital initiative in the form of a mobile
application named „Khanan Mitra‟ on this day, which
has been developed by „Khanan Mitra‟ under the aegis of
DGMS – Western Zone and Raigarh Region of DGMS –
South Eastern Zone with an intention to spreading
awareness on mines safety amongst about 1,00,000
digitally connected workers, supervisors and officials
employed in various coal and non-coal mines in the
jurisdiction, along with a host of various other features
customized to improving safety in mines.
Mining industry in the country contributes significantly to
the GDP and, therefore, plays a vital role in Nation
Building. Despite global slowdowns, growth in mining
sector, specially in energy and infrastructure related
sectors of iron ore and limestone, have only got further
consolidated. With intensified focus and massive
investments initiated by Central and State Governments in
infrastructural projects throughout the country, mining
sector is all set for quantum leap from the current levels.
But a big paradox is that this growth story has been
predominantly concentrated in the existing setup while
very marginal lateral growth has been registered in terms
of incrementing the number of mines. This has resulted in
over-stressing of the existing sector. No doubt, the safety
scenario of the sector continues to be the single largest
concern as a consequence.
Further complicating the situation is the serious limitations
in current day conventional administrative capabilities/
facilitations prevailing in the industry. The day-to-day
dynamics of mining specially on safety, are already
spinning out of control for the operators. With the size of
mining being practiced today in terms of volume and
intensity, every decision is distinct by huge cost angles
and therefore, any slippage will equally reflect
accordingly. Also, many a times, decisions taken by
conventional means, become practically irrelevant,
infructuous and cost prohibitive at the end of day, thereby
trivializing the entire gamut of time & energy invested in
the process. In effect, the mining industry is driven to
brinks with various challenges surrounding from all
corners and staring glaringly at the operators and other
stake holders.
No doubt, that such arrangements cannot be relied upon
anymore for the ambitious growth path as set out for the
sector by the Govt. Unless and until new initiatives into
managing such systems effectively and accurately are
interwoven into current day mining methodology, turn
around for the sector specially on account of safety of
persons employed in mines, will be a routine herculean
task.
Fortunately, India being a global IT leader, it may be a
fairly easy task for our mining sector to incorporate digital
management for accurate, effective and instantaneous
realization of results. Coupled with policies of the
Government, the environment is aptly ripe and in tune
with this direly required initiative by the sector in
introducing digitization in a large way. Such digital
outreach can hugely facilitate in ensuring that the growth
path as envisaged for the mining sector in the country is
sustainable with matching performance in the field of
safety, even with growing stringency in respect of various
socio-technical and socio-economic factors attendant to
the sector.
Though digital outreach has made some inroads into the
governing and harmonizing policies of a few public sectors
and private sector mining companies in a very limited
way, it is too low to making any impactable changes on
overall performance and therefore, the journey is long.
Even this limited penetration so far made is also largely
confined to financial aspects and not larger technical
aspects.
Thus, the potential for digitization in mining sector in
respect of effective and efficient management of various
operating systems and parameters - mine safety being
the most important of them, remains largely unexplored
even till date. In the current day management of the
mining sector, there are many aspects which require
scrutiny both within and outside the mine at the level of
corporate governance, regulators, other stake holders,
etc. With augmented focus on transparency in
governance, conventional methods need to be replaced
with a matching digitized regime. Thus, the need of the
hour is that mining sector must be digitally enabled
appropriately to allowing multi-level and multi-party
intervention at different levels on a digital platform, for
achieving the common goal for all stake holders.
With the foregoing in view, it is expected that the seminar
would serve as the much-required catalyst amongst all
stake holders in planning and designing for appropriate
customized strategies to be operational in mines. It may
be appreciated that the principal and the largest amongst
various important stake holders in the mining is the group
of workers, supervisors and officials employed in mines
who are the backbone of the industry. Therefore, the
concept of the proposed seminar is equally vital for other
departments in the Ministry of Labour and Employment of
the Government of India as it is for DGMS.