Ground Water Management in Neyveli Lignite Mines for Safe Mining Operations

HEMANT KUMAR

doi:10.36948/ijfmr.2025.v07i05.56840

Ground Water Management in Neyveli Lignite Mines for Safe Mining Operations

Author(s)	Mr. HEMANT KUMAR
Country	India
Abstract	Opencast Mining of Sedimentary deposits involve removal of huge amount of Overburden for reaching the deposit. This may cause disturbance of the underlying confined aquifers resulting in release of stored water with high pressure in the working area. This makes mining difficult and unsafe due to inrush of water in the working pit. Similar type of problems are faced by mines at Neyveli area. Mining of lignite from NLCIL’s mines in Neyveli area is faced with a unique hydrological problem due to the presence of confined aquifers below lignite seam exerting an upward pressure, if not controlled; it could jeopardize the entire mining operations. The hydro-geological investigation and pumping tests conducted in this field proved that most practical–cum-economic solution to this problem is depressurization of confined aquifer and maintaining the pressure head constantly below the lignite seam (initial technique) or just above lignite seam (positive head- improvised technique) by large scale continuous pumping operation from the series of large diameter pump well located /situated at hydrologically pre-planned /calculated distances from the active excavation zone. Therefore, the depressurization of this aquifer is being done to maintain the pressure head constantly at the lignite bottom through pumping operations from strategically located pumping wells in the lignite mines/ close to excavation zone. The pressure surface is controlled through adequate number of large diameter pumping wells (Drilling dia :36 inches/Casing dia 20inches) with capacity of 1000 & 500 gallon per minute. Effective control of Ground water pressure is achieved by shifting the location of drilling/pumping wells at lignite bund closer to lignite excavation area and overcoming earlier problems of high groundwater pressure resulting in available lignite not been extracted fully. Groundwater and Storm Water aspects have been improvised over a period of time to suit the lignite mining operations. The groundwater pumped out from the mines is being used in Thermal Power Stations for power generation and the surplus water is supplied for community use in after proper treatment. In order to pump out water from the aquifers, proper planning of pumping locations and proper methods are to be analyzed in order to make the working area suitable for excavation. This article presents a detailed analysis of various methods adopted for ground water control and management in Mines for safe and optimum mining process and also to check the efficiency for ground water control in mines.
Keywords	Aquifer; Bucket wheel Excavator; Ground Water Control;
Field	Engineering
Published In	Volume 7, Issue 5, September-October 2025
Published On	2025-09-30
DOI	https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2025.v07i05.56840

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Ground Water Management in Neyveli Lignite Mines for Safe Mining Operations

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