A National Workshop on “Moving Beyond Extraction: Mine Closure & Repurposing” jointly organized by the Ministry of Coal and NLC India Limited was successfully conducted on 23–24 February 2026 at Lignite Hall, Neyveli,. This marked India’s first national-level workshop exclusively focused on Mine Closure.The two-day national workshop witnessed participation of about 560 delegates from across the country representing central and state governments, coal PSUs, regulatory bodies, industry experts, financial institutions, academia, and development organizations.

The workshop was inaugurated by G Kishan Reddy, Minister of Coal and Mines, Government of India in the presence of Senior dignitaries including Vikram Dev Dutt, Secretary, Ministry of Coal; Sanoj Kumar Jha, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Coal; Ms. Rupinder Brar, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Coal; and Sajeesh Kumar N., Coal Controller, Ministry of Coal.

Leadership from major coal companies also participated, including B Sairam, Chairman-cum-Managing Director (CMD), Coal India Limited; Dr Buddha Prakash Jyoti, IAS, CMD, SCCL; Prasanna Kumar Motupalli, CMD, NLCIL; CMDs of subsidiaries of Coal India Limited; and Suresh Chandra Suman, Director (Mines), NLCIL.

In his keynote address and interaction with Nodal officers of 147 mines, G Kishan Reddy emphasized that mine closure should mark the beginning of new opportunities for displaced communities and not the end of activity. He underlined that closure planning must move beyond regulatory compliance and focus on:

•             Scientific environmental restoration and sustainable post-mining land use

•             Integration of livelihood generation and community welfare

•             Strengthening coordination between Nodal Officers and District-level Mine Closure Advisory Committees

•             Effective utilisation of District Mineral Foundation (DMF) funds

•             Transparent “before and after” documentation and continuous monitoring

•             Stressed on proper repurposing of the 147 mines identified for final mine closure out of 575 coal mines in the country.

The Hon’bleMinister reiterated that mine closure must evolve into a community-centric development opportunity, ensuring long-term resilience and sustainable economic transition in coal-dependent regions.

Earlier, the Hon’ble Minister inaugurated a technical exhibition, comprising stalls showcasing NLCIL’s transition towards sustainable mining practices and its commitment to the Ministry of Coal’s (MoC) "Green Cover" initiatives. The exhibition received high praise from Hon’ble Minister of Coal, G Kishan Reddy, who commended NLCIL’s integration of high-tech engineering with environmental stewardship. Senior officials from the Ministry of Coal, experts from across the Coal Industry, and members of the general public visited the stalls.

The thematic presentation by Sajeesh Kumar N., Coal Controller, outlined a comprehensive roadmap to transform mine closure into a structured socio-economic transition framework, impacting over 5 million people dependent on coal ecosystems.

The presentation emphasized:

•             Institutionalising structured frameworks such as RECLAIM, L.I.V.E.S, ARTHA, and SUVIKALP

•             Aligning closure strategies with national missions and ESG principles

•             Developing skill transition pathways and enterprise ownership models

•             Converting mono-economy coal districts into diversified, resilient economic ecosystems.

Prasanna Kumar Motupalli, CMD of NLCIL, outlined the company’s extensive sustainability achievements, noting that NLCIL has already reclaimed 3,115 Hectares of the 6,473 Hectares utilized for mining. He detailed a robust circular economy model where mine overburden is converted into one million metric tonnes of M-sand, alongside the implementation of hi-tech farming, hydroponics, and a 200-cow Goshala. Beyond land restoration, NLCIL’s water management efforts help in irrigating 25,000 Hectares and supply drinking water to 62 villages as well as Chennai. With a target of 10 GW of renewable energy by 2030, Prasanna Kumar emphasized that each Mine requires a scientific, tailor-made and community-centric restoration process.

The workshop featured 30 eminent speakers from multilateral and bilateral organizations, academia, industry, civil society, and international institutions, reflecting a truly multi-disciplinary platform. Speakers included senior representatives from GIZ India, Art of Living, HFI, KfW India, ICAR, IIT Kanpur, IITTM, CSTEP, Tata Steel, and social enterprises.

Deliberations covered community engagement frameworks, agroforestry and regenerative agriculture models, livestock-based reclamation, aquaculture in abandoned mine pits, mine-based tourism development, public space planning, traditional arts and culture, renewable energy integration including solar and pumped storage, data centre infrastructure leveraging pit lakes, climate-resilient restoration models, and access to international climate and transition finance. International perspectives on post-mining land transformation and global standards for mine closure further enriched the discussions, reinforcing the need for structured, technology-enabled, and community-centric repurposing strategies.

A key feature of the workshop was a group exercise conducted, where participants engaged in a case study on planning a mine closure. The interactive session enabled delegates to collaboratively deliberate on environmental, social, economic, and financial dimensions of closure planning, reinforcing the importance of coordinated and structured implementation.

The Hon’ble Minister visited the Mine Closure sites of Mine–I and reviewed the reclamation and restoration works undertaken. He also inaugurated the Butterfly Park developed as part of the ecological restoration initiatives. The Hon’ble Minister interacted with the workers and employees of NLCIL over breakfast and appreciated their contribution to sustainable mining practices. He also witnessed the panoramic view of the well-planned and landscaped Neyveli Township.

The workshop concluded with a valedictory function, during which officials of the Ministry of Coal appreciated the depth and quality of deliberations. They particularly commended NLC India Limited for the excellent organization, meticulous arrangements, and warm hospitality extended to all delegates.